Catherine Joy Antonio Zambrano

Grade 10- Temple Mount Centro de Cultura Incorporada

Research and Thesis III April 29, 2019

CHICKEN AND DUCK BREEDING

A Research Proposal
Background and Rationale

Chickens and ducks are both raised in Philippines’ poultry industry. They both lay eggs
and use for meat production. Duck’s egg is used for ‘balut’. Balut is
a developing bird embryo (usually a duck) that is boiled and eaten from the shell. While
chicken’s egg is used to bind ingredients together as they are coagulated when cooked. Coating
batters use whole eggs and breadcrumbs to provide a coating or protection for the food item prior
to cooking. So in this research, I will try to breed chicken and duck if possible. It is important to
know that male ducks (a drake) usually require more than one female. They have an extremely
high sex drive and can literally breed a female duck to death. One drake can handle up
to 12 hens. Ducks and chickens can coexist fine usually. Even the meanest of roosters can get
along with a drake from my experience. The only risk to raising the two together is that a rooster
will try to mate a duck hen, and a drake will also try to mate a chicken hen. This is not a problem
as far as a rooster mating a duck hen. However, things get a little tricky with the drake. A rooster
does not have an appendage that protrudes from his body during mating. It is actually the hen
that does the act of mating with the rooster. A duck, on the other hand, does have an appendage.
This is an issue because chicken hens are not equipped to handle that. The frequency of
mating follows a diurnal pattern with mating frequency reaching peaks early and late in the day.
A rooster may mate from 10 to 30 or more times per day, depending on the availability
of hens and competition from other roosters. Forms of polygamy include polyandry (single
females have several male mates) and polygyny (single males have multiple female mates).
Polyandry has never been observed in waterfowl, but polygyny occurs in some species.

EGG PRODUCTION IN THE PHILIPPINES

 This research will try to prove that the breeding of chickens and ducks are possible.
Also, I will observe if the production of eggs are bigger than usual commercial eggs sold. Aside
from the number of eggs laid, I will also focus on its size and weight, colour, nutrition fact and
even its taste. When it was successfully proven, the poultry industry will also benefit from it by
introducing the cross bred egg.

Methodology

Materials

1 drake (male duck)

1 duck hen
1 rooster
1 hen
2 foul cage (30 square feet)
2 kilos of cracked corn
Water

Procedures

Step 1: Prepare all the materials.

Step 2: In the first cage, let the drake and the hen live together.

Step 3: In the second cage, let the duck hen and the rooster live together.

Step 4: Feed and water them daily with the same amount of cracked corn and water.

Step 5: Wait for them to mate.

Step 6: When the layers of egg are pregnant already, observe carefully the first cage after 10 days
because the hen might lay its egg/s. On the other cage, observe it carefully after 2 weeks because
the egg layer is the duck hen.

Step 7: When they lay their eggs already, observe and record the hatched egg.
Data Collection
PRODUCTION OF EGGS
Count the number of eggs laid per
day.
WEIGHT OF THE EGG
Using a water displacement
method, measure the eggs weight
and compare it also from the normal
commercial egg.
TASTE OF THE EGG
Boil duck's egg, chicken's egg and
the bred duck-and-chicken's egg.
Let 10 people taste it and let them
choose about their desired taste.
Record the survey.
SIZE OF THE EGG
Using a ruler, measure the height
and length of the egg and compare
it from the normal size of eggs sold
commercially.
COLOUR OF THE EGG
By simply observing the egg's
colour you will easily identify if the
egg gets more trait from the duck's
egg or chicken's.
DATA GATHERING
Collect the data and make a
comparison between commercial
the commercial eggs and the bred
duck-and-chicken's egg. Compile
and record the result.