Effect of varying levels of golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata Lamarck) meal on the growth performance of mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos L.)

Richelle A Niepes, Mark Anthony T Maña and Edmar C Cagara

College of Agriculture, Forestry and Environmental Sciences, Mindanao State University at Naawan, Naawan, Misamis Oriental, 9023 Philippines
richelle.niepes@msunaawan.edu.ph

Abstract

The rising interest in using alternative livestock feed sources is mostly driven by the rising cost of commercial feed and the desire for agricultural sustainability. This research was conducted to determine the growth performance of Mallard ducks fed with a commercial diet substituted with varying amounts of golden apple snail (Pomecea canaliculata) meal. The study utilized 125 Philippine Mallard Ducks (Itik-pinas kayumanggi) randomly distributed into five treatments replicated five times with five ducks per replicate. This experiment follows a Completely Randomized Design Set-up. The experimental treatments are as follows, GASM0 (Control) -100% commercial mash diet, GASM10 (90% commercial mash diet+10% GAS meal), GASM20 (80% commercial mash diet+20% GAS meal), GASM30 (70% commercial mash+30% GAS meal), and GASM40 (60% commercial mash+40% GAS meal). The results showed that the incorporation of the GAS meal into the diet has significantly improved (p<0.05) the body weight gain. Moreover, GASM30 with 70% commercial mash+30% GAS meal showed a significant improvement (p<0.05) in terms the overall growth performance. The findings indicated that the substitution level of 30% of the GAS meal might result in the efficient growth performance of mallard duck.

Keywords: alternative livestock feed, growth performance, golden apple snail meal, kuhol, Itik-pinas

Introduction

The increasing price of commercial feed and the demand for agricultural sustainability are two major factors contributing to the growing interest in using alternative livestock feed sources. Reducing the usage of conventional protein sources like fish meal and shrimp meal in feed production is one way to increase agricultural sustainability. Farmers who sustainable and indigenous feed sources can better adapt to economic situations and price fluctuations. Farmers, particularly in developing countries, face rising production expenses due to the ever-increasing price of commercial feeds. The Philippines’ climatic unpredictability has been one of the main factors causing problems in feed production (Maña et al 2023). In order to reduce feed costs and boost farmers' economies, alternative food sources like food waste, crop residue, or animal pests can be acquired at a reduced cost or even for free. One alternative protein source that has been infesting agricultural wetlands is the Golden apple snail or scientifically known as Pomacea canaliculata.

The Pomacea canaliculata, often known as the golden apple snail, and locally known as kuhol, has been introduced as a high-protein food source in the Philippines (Noriel et al 2000). Consequently, the motive of introducing the apple snail was good as it was expected to improve the economy of farmers, but it, unfortunately, became a significant pest of rice. Farmers have practiced different control measures. Golden apple snails have been gathered and processed to create a useful supplemental source of protein that can take the place of other sources of animal protein in feed diets. (Caguan and Joshi 2022; Ulep and Santos 1995). Invasive snail species, like the golden apple snail, can control their growth and environmental impact by using them as animal food.

Ducks are frequently utilized in rice paddies to manage apple snails biologically. Philippine Mallard ducks, also called Pateros ducks, were historically raised mainly to produce balut, a Filipino specialty dish. In the Philippines, raising rice is often coupled with raising mallard ducks. Mixed farming, in which rice is grown with ducks, allows subsistence farmers to reap benefits from both crops on the same plot of land (rice and duck meat/eggs, respectively). In addition, the rice fields will benefit significantly from the ducks because their waste contains nearly all of the necessary nutrients.

The golden apple snail meal may be the most promising protein source for livestock and poultry farming due to its crude protein content that is almost similar to fishmeal. However, further research is necessary to understand the impact of golden snail meal on growth performance for Mallard ducks. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the impact on various levels of golden apple snail Pomacea canaliculata (GAS) meal substitute on the growth performance of Mallard ducks.

Materials and methods

Golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata) meal preparation

The fresh Golden Apple Snails (GAS) were collected from the rice paddies in Naawan, Misamis Oriental. The snails were collected before rice transplanting to ensure they were free from pesticide residues and other synthetic chemicals. The collected snails were stored in a big pail with water for two days allowing them to purge any toxic substances (Ulep and Santos 1995). The purged snails were boiled for 10 minutes at 100°C, and the meat was separated from the shell. The golden apple snail meat was sun-dried for two-three days until the meat contained less than 10% moisture (Usman et al 2007). The dried golden apple snail meat was ground using a hammermill and passed through a 3mm sieve. The GAS meal samples underwent proximate analysis (see Table 1).

Experimental animal and treatments

This study adhered to the Philippines’ Animal Welfare Act of 1998 (RA 8485). In this research, 125 unsexed Philippine Mallard Ducks (Itik-pinas kayumanggi) at 2 weeks old were purchased from a local duck farm in Mindanao. The ducklings underwent brooding for three weeks (21 days) and were fed with a commercial mash ration. After brooding, the ducks at 35 days old (5 weeks) were randomly distributed into five treatments replicated five times with five ducks per replicate. This experiment follows a Completely Randomized Design Set-up. The experimental treatments are as follows, GASM0 (Control) -100% commercial mash diet, GASM10- 90% commercial mash diet+10% GAS meal, GASM20-80% commercial mash diet + 20% GAS meal, GASM30-70% commercial mash + 30% GAS meal, GASM40 -60% commercial mash + 40% GAS meal. The nutrient composition of the experimental treatments is shown in Table 2. Ad libitum feeding based on the dietary feeding allowance for ducks was practiced in this study. Feed and water availability were constantly monitored. Rice hulls were utilized as bedding and were constantly changed weekly to avoid the accumulation of fecal and urine matter.

Data gathered

Before beginning the study, the researchers carefully recorded the individual body weight of each bird. The weekly gain in body weight and feed conversion ratio were calculated at the end of the production time to yield the average daily gain. Each duck’s body weight gain was calculated using the following method, which was derived by subtracting the mallard duck's initial weight from its final weight. The formula for the body weight gain is expressed below:

Body Weight Gain (BWG)=Final weight (FW)- Initial Weight (IW)

Feed intake (FI) refers to the amount of feed by which the mallard duck have consumed daily. It is measured by subtracting the feed refused from the feed given. The formula for FI is shown below:

Feed Intake = Feed given – Feed refused

The feed conversion ratio (FCR) was calculated as the amount of feed given to the animal divided by its weight gained.

The data gathered were subjected to one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and comparison of treatment means used the Tukey’s Honest Significant Difference (HSD) Test using SPSS version 25.

Results and discussion

Growth performance

The growth performance of mallard ducks fed with various substitution levels of golden apple snail (GAS) meal is presented in Table 3. The feed intake (FI), body weight gain (BWI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR). of ducks was significantly affected (p<0.05) by the substitution of the GAS meal. Feed intake was highest in GASM40 (60% commercial mash + 40% GAS meal). However, the feed intake has no direct relationship with the substitution level since the FI was lowest at GASM30 (70% commercial mash + 30% GAS meal). Substituting GAS meal into the commercial diet improved the body weight gain of the mallard ducks. All treatment groups showed higher BWG compared to the controlled group, with the highest body weight gain observed in GASM30 (70% commercial mash + 30% GAS meal). Moreover, the most efficient FCR was observed in GASM30 (70% commercial mash + 30% GAS meal), and increasing the substitution GAS meal at 40% (GASM40) will render the FCR less efficient.

The high feed intake from the increased level of GAS meal substituted to the diet might be due to the increase in palatability of feed, as supported by Cresswell and Kompiang (1981). The higher feed intake can also be associated with higher digestibility of nutrients. The true digestibility values of snail meal protein and amino acids are well established. Regarding protein and amino acids, Ali and Leeson (1995) found that snail meal has an actual digestibility of 88-91%. However, in the current study, as the level of GAS meal substitution is increased to 40%, the FCR becomes less efficient. The same results coincide with the study of Cresswell and Habibie (1981), by which feed consumption/feed intake was higher in diets with high amounts of snail meal. However, poorer feed conversion efficiency was also observed. It is also noteworthy that the Golden Apple Snail meal might contain several anti-nutrient factors, resulting in a lesser feed efficiency and growth performance when increased at a higher amount.

Figure 1. Curvilinear trend on the feed intake of Mallard duck (Anas platyrynchos L.) fed with various levels of Golden Apple Snail (GAS) meal at different substitution levels	Figure 2. Curvilinear trend on the body weight gain of Mallard duck (Anas platyrynchos L.) fed with various levels of Golden Apple Snail (GAS) meal at different substitution levels

Figure 3. Curvilinear trend on the feed conversion ratio of Mallard duck (Anas platyrynchos L.) fed with various levels of Golden Apple Snail (GAS) meal at different substitution levels

Generally speaking, substituting the commercial diet with GAS meal had improved the body weight gain of the Mallard duck compared to feeding with a commercial ration alone. This can be attributed with the increased crude protein of the diet as the amount of GAS meal substitution has increased (see Table 2). From a nutritional standpoint, it is possible that the GAS meal given to ducks improved their growth performance because it contained a high-quality amino with an adequate amino acids profile that may promote gut growth and rapid development of muscles.

Conclusion

The results demonstrated that the incorporation of golden apple snail meal into the ducks' diet had a significant positive impact on body weight gain and overall growth performance. Specifically, the substitution level of 30% golden apple snail meal resulted in the most efficient growth performance of the mallard ducks. Based on the results, it is recommended that farmers consider incorporating golden apple snail meal into the diet of Mallard ducks at a substitution level of 30% to optimize growth performance. However, further research is needed to evaluate the long-term effects and potential anti-nutrient factors associated with higher levels of golden apple snail meal substitution.

Acknowledgment

The authors thank the College of Agriculture and Forestry (now College of Agriculture, Forestry and Environment Sciences) for providing the research area and making this output possible. To the Department of Agriculture Region 10 for the proximate analysis of feedstuffs. Special thanks to Mr. Elmar M. Patiga and Ronel B. Geromo for their assistance in preparing this article.

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