Principle of Aquaculture (1+1)

3.1.9.4. Duck-Fish integrated farming

In Duck-fish integrated farming, ducks provide a safe environment to fish by consuming juvenile frogs, tadpoles and dragonfly in the pond. As the duck spends most of its time swimming in the pond the dropping goes directly in pond, which in turn provides essential nutrients to stimulate growth of natural food in the fish pond. The duck dropping contain 25 per cent organic and 20 per cent inorganic substances with a number of elements such as carbon, phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen, calcium, etc. Hence, it forms a very good source of fertilizer. To fertilize 1 ha fish pond number of ducks required is between 100 and 3,000, depending on the duration of fish culture and the manure requirements.

Small ruminants such as goats and sheep are integrated with fish culture is practised, but on a very small scale. Integrated rabbit-fish farming is also practiced only on a very small scale. This system has up to now not received much attention.