Does The Use of A Combination of Spirulina and Indigofera Affect The Morphometric Development and Body Weight of Muscovy– Local Ducks (Jumbo Ducks) during The Starter Phase?

¹ Faculty of Animal Sciences, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang 65145, Indonesia
² Faculty of Animal Science, Smart Livestock Industry Study Programme, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang 65145, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the combination of spirulina and Indigofera in feed on the morphometric development and body weight of Muscovy–local duck crossbred (Jumbo duck) (Cairina moschata) during the starter phase. A total of 125 one-day-old unsexed Muscovy ducks were used in a randomised block design with five treatments of different feed ingredient combinations and five replications. The parameters observed included body weight, body length, beak length and width, head dimensions, and other body measurements. The data were analysed via analysis of variance (ANOVA) to determine the significance of the treatments. The results revealed that the addition of the combined feed ingredients had no significant effect (P>0.05) on body weight gain or morphometric development; however, there was a tendency toward increased morphometric values and body weights in the treatment groups compared with those in the control group. In summary, the potential use of local feed ingredient combinations that are economical and environmentally friendly for Muscovy–local duck crossbreeds (Jumbo duck) is important.