Integrated Farming - How Do Southeast Asian Farmers Raise Ducks in Fish Ponds?

Have you ever seen the model of raising poultry combined with fish ponds? In rural areas of Southeast Asia, the model of raising ducks combined with fish ponds has existed for a long time. It improves economic efficiency and is especially friendly to the environment. This method not only makes the most of natural resources, but also brings stable profits to millions of farmers in the region. Please join us to explore what duck farms combined with fish ponds are like. Southeast Asian Duck Farm How do farmers combine duck farming with fish ponds? Ducks are one of the earliest domesticated birds in the world, having been raised in some areas for thousands of years. To this day, ducks are still raised in large numbers for their meat, eggs and down. The world produces over 3 billion meat ducks each year, and over 80% of these are raised in Southeast Asia in some form. They can be raised in closed farms or grazed in fields after harvest. One of the most common forms of duck farming in Southeast Asia is the combination of duck farms and fish ponds. Raising ducks in combination with fish ponds is a model that takes advantage of the symbiotic relationship between ducks and fish in a closed ecosystem. Ducks are free to roam on the water surface or pond banks, both looking for natural food and excreting manure directly into the pond. Nutrient-rich duck manure helps develop plankton, creating an ideal natural food source for fish. In contrast, fish in the pond eat algae, plankton and some of the food that falls from the ducks, helping to clean the water environment and prevent pollution caused by duck droppings. It is not difficult to build a duck farm combined with a fish pond, because the cost is relatively low, suitable for small-scale farmers. This farming model does not require modern technology, but needs a reasonable design. Fish ponds usually have an area of 600 to 2,000 square meters, a depth of about 1.2 to 1.5 meters, with an active drainage and water supply system. Duck pens are built on the shore, have a roof, a high airy floor and a door leading to the pond so that ducks can freely go in and out to bathe and rest. For ducks to grow best, Southeast Asian farmers need to stock 300 to 500 ducks per 1,000 square meters fish pond. Avoid stocking too many ducks in one area, as high density will cause them to compete with each other. One of the reasons for the rapid development of duck farms in Southeast Asia is the selection of duck breeds. Super egg duck breeds, such as grass ducks, super laying hybrid ducks or peaking ducks for meat are more commonly chosen. These duck breeds have the ability to adapt very well to the climate in Southeast Asia and have the ability to grow quickly, as well as produce superior eggs. As for fish, farmers choose fish such as tilapia, catfish, carp and silver carp because they are easy to raise, omnivorous and have the ability to grow quickly. Duck houses are designed on fish ponds, they can swim freely, while duck manure is used as fish food. Farmers can also save on feed costs by feeding them agricultural products. Duck feed is usually grains or green vegetables grown on the farm, combined with natural food sources such as snails and insects. Many farms supplement industrial feed for ducks to help them increase their weight and egg laying rate. Ducks can be sold after 50-70 days of rearing. Fish are harvested after 4-6 months. Therefore, farmers can harvest 4 batches of ducks and 2 batches of fish in a year, which brings real profits to farmers. Thanks to the integrated model, feed costs are significantly reduced, which will increase profits by 20-30% compared to single farming. The model of raising ducks combined with fish ponds brings many benefits to farmers. Help save on fish feed costs by utilizing duck manure. Contributes to increasing fish productivity and quality due to the nutrient rich water environment. In particular, this model brings double profits to farmers when they increase their income when selling ducks, duck eggs and fish. This combination of farming also helps reduce pollution because there is no need to treat duck waste separately. It helps reuse resources reasonably and does not cause waste. In addition to applying integrated duck and fish farming, Southeast Asian farmers are also famous for the practice of grazing thousands of ducks in rice fields after harvest. This is the most ideal living environment for duck populations because they can freely move, swim and forage. Not only foraging, ducks also help farmers clean rice fields by eating weeds, golden apple snails or pests. Helping the cultivated land become healthier. Ducks are raised primarily for their eggs and meat, which is a traditional delicacy in many Southeast Asian countries. Duck is a popular dish in many Southeast Asian countries. From Peking duck in China to Vietnam, to duck stewed in coconut milk in Thailand, duck curry in Malaysia or nasi bebek in Indonesia. Duck is always present in local cuisine and high-end restaurants. This helps increase domestic duck consumption, while promoting exports to Asian markets such as China, Hong Kong and Singapore, where demand for duck meat is increasing. Have you ever seen a farm model that operates without any costs? It sounds unbelievable, right? But in fact, many farmers have successfully applied a model that combines raising cows, raising ducks and growing crops, saving a lot of costs. If you don't believe it, watch this video to find out how farmers run their farms. You can see here is a farm raising ducks for eggs. They are foraging for earthworms in the soil. It seems that these ducks really like to eat worms. So, how to raise these earthworms for duck food? The first step to earthworm composting is livestock manure, which farmers collect from cow sheds. This can be from family farms or neighboring farms. On modern farms, barn cleaning is done by automated robots or specialized equipment. On smaller farms, farmers often collect cow manure manually. Cow manure is collected in a designated area to prepare for further processing. The cow manure is collected and left to decompose for several days, which reduces its heat and ammonia content, which can be harmful to earthworms. The manure is mixed with other organic materials such as straw, leaves or kitchen waste to form a balanced substrate. Farmers create worm beds using wooden boxes, pits or concrete cages with proper drainage. The beds can be supplemented with bedding materials such as shredded newspaper, dry leaves or coconut coir to maintain moisture. Once the cow manure has decomposed, farmers introduce worms into the beds, which consume the organic matter and excrete nutrient-rich waste. Each bed needs to maintain a humidity level of around 60-70% to ensure optimal worm activity. The worms will decompose the cow manure into high-quality compost in about 30-45 days. Compost made from earthworms is rich in nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which are beneficial to plants. This type of compost is applied directly to vegetable or food crop farms, helping to optimize plant growth. It also provides natural nutrients without the need for chemical fertilizers, thereby reducing organic waste and preventing pollution. When the compost is dark and fluffy, it is harvested and used to enrich the soil for growing plants. The worms are separated and used as feed for farm animals, typically ducks. Earthworms are considered an excellent source of protein, containing about 60-70% protein along with essential amino acids that help ducks grow optimally and improve meat quality. Farmers say that ducks consuming earthworms daily will improve their growth and muscle development, increase egg production in laying ducks and enhance immunity and digestion. Furthermore, the method of combining earthworm farming with duck farming helps farmers save on commercial feed costs, thereby increasing their income. It also creates a self-sustaining ecosystem in which cow dung and duck manure are used to feed worms and worms are used to feed ducks. In addition to using earthworms to feed ducks, farmers also raise worms as feed for chickens. Commonly raised worms are red earthworms, African earthworms and Indian greenworms. They not only have the ability to reproduce quickly and have high nutritional value, but are also larger in size and adapt easily to the rearing environment. Currently, earthworm farming for poultry is often done on small-scale or private farms and has not been expanded to large-scale farms. However, agricultural experts also affirm that this is an environmentally friendly, cost-saving and nutritious solution for poultry farming. It also helps to process large amounts of cow manure on farms and reduce the pressure from the livestock industry on the environment and ecosystem. You ever seen a modern bird farm like this? It is not like a normal farm because the equipment and breeding environment are very modern. The bird species raised on this farm is the Hubara Bustard. So what do people raise this bird for? Let's explore it with us now. The Hubara Bustard is classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to habitat loss and over-hunting. As a result, most Hubara Bustard farms are built to breed thousands of birds each year and release them into the wild to restore wild populations. Currently, a private center, the Al-Bayda Bird Breeding and Research Center, was established in 2020 with the aim of breeding the Hubara Bustard in captivity to reintroduce the species into its natural habitat in both Qatar and Central Asia. Currently, Al-Bayda Farm is raising 300 female Hubara birds and 200 male Hubara birds in separate cages. The farm consists of outdoor and indoor areas. The breeding and incubation areas are also operated in a separate area. The staff is divided into caring for the young birds and the adult birds. Adult Hubara Bustards are kept enclosed, carefully controlled temperature and light rooms throughout the year. After the breeding season, adult birds are moved into outdoor socialization aviaries. The farm owners point out that Hubara Bustards are not easy to tame as they need their own space to resemble their natural habitat. Furthermore, they must be kept separate from other birds and animals, so the farm must allocate a separate building for the birds. Keeping Hubara Bustards requires extreme care, with the facilities being cleaned and disinfected regularly, and workers being hired to care for them. All food and water provided to the birds must be kept clean and free of contamination. The diet is simple, consisting of local vegetables and grains Some insects can also be added to provide protein for their growth. In addition to breeding the Hubara Bustard to conserve the population, the facility will also produce and release 50,000 Hubara Bustards into their natural habitat, which will benefit the agricultural sector in the area as the birds are an important link in the food chain. Scientists and local farmers also say that the Hubara Bustard is a carnivorous bird that hunts worms and rats that are harmful to agricultural crops. The farm's goal is to breed enough birds to maintain a sustainable population and ensure their survival in order to maintain falconry as part of Arabian cultural heritage. So what does Arabian falconry have to do with the Hubara Bustard? The Hubara Bustard is the favorite prey of falcons in Arabia. Their declining numbers in the wild have affected both wild and captive falcon populations. Falconry has been an integral part of Arab culture for over 4,000 years. It is even recognized as an intangible cultural heritage in some Arab countries. Falcons are traded in famous markets, such as the International Falcon Exhibition in Abu Dhabi and the Sukwaka Falcon Market in Qatar. Some rare falcons can cost more than $100,000, while rare and highly skilled hunting falcons can fetch even higher prices. Hubara Bustard owners say Qatari falconers are particularly fond of the bird and consider it a valuable prey during the falconry season. Uncontrolled hunting with falcons or guns in the past caused the Hubara Bustard population to decline. Now, as the Hubara population has gradually recovered, falconry activities have developed. Hunting is often done in the desert, we can see the falcon chasing its prey, the Hubara Bustard. It often exhausts its prey while flying, and finally the prey is exhausted under the claws of the fierce falcon. For this activity, Hubara Bustard farms can make a profit from falconry, which will go towards the cost of continuing to operate the Hubara Bustard farm to ensure that their population does not decline. It is amazing to see the rooftops of these high-rise buildings, which were once empty, now transformed into lush green farms. People have grown a variety of vegetables and fruits on these high-rise roofs. It is hard to believe that today there is an entire agricultural system built on urban rooftops, which has become very popular in the United States in recent years. Today, let's explore with us how farmers build rooftop farms. Rooftop farming is a form of urban agriculture in which food is grown on the roofs of buildings. However, not all buildings can be used for farming, and farmers need to assess the load-bearing capacity of the building to ensure that no accidents can occur. To grow crops on the roof, soil, plants, water and farming equipment need to be transported. The buildings need to ensure enough sunlight for the plants to grow. In addition, windbreaks or bamboo trellises need to be set up to protect the plants. There are different types of rooftop farming such as soil-based farming, hydroponics, or aquaponics depending on the location and size of the building. Many farmers who choose soil-based farming will cultivate in regular rows to grow a variety of vegetables and herbs. Since the plants are grown on rooftops, it is impractical to carry water by hand, so farmers need to install an irrigation system. This could be drip irrigation that delivers water directly to the roots of the plants, which should be controlled by sensors to optimize water use and avoid waste. Farmers can also collect and store rainwater for irrigation by installing tanks on the roof. The soils used are light and organically fertilized for optimal plant growth. The organic fertilizers used in this environment are usually biochar or coconut fiber. Some people also use worm castings to create nutrient-rich soil. The crops chosen are usually light, fast-growing, high-yielding crops that are well-suited to rooftop conditions. Popular crops include lettuce, spinach, or kale. Herbs include basil, mint, coriander, and rosemary. Some rooftop farms even raise chickens for eggs or bees for honey production. See? The plants grown on the roof are really lush and look delicious. The farmers make sure that no pesticides are used on these vegetable beds. They usually use organic and manual methods to remove pests from the vegetables. This ensures a healthy ecological environment and does not affect the air in the city. It is wonderful to see the concrete roofs of high-rise buildings now turning into a green color of life. Many urban residents have become professional farmers as they regularly plant and harvest crops on their rooftops. Do you know how rooftop plants are consumed? They can be harvested, cleaned and packaged for consumption at stores specializing in organic food. Many of these stores also grow vegetables on their roofs and sell directly at the store, saving costs and maximizing profits. Not only that, these organic vegetables and fruits are also sold to restaurants inside the building to serve diners. Because nowadays, organically grown foods are always favored by consumers. Rooftop agriculture is currently only developing on a small scale in some developed countries such as the U.S. and some countries in Europe. Although it is not yet widely popular, with the benefits it brings, it will certainly be considered a new agriculture in the future. Rooftop farming has many benefits. The most obvious is that it can reduce the extreme temperatures in cities during the summer. This reduces the amount of energy needed for heating and air conditioning systems, as well as the pollution created by heating and cooling. This also reduces the cost of heating or cooling a building. Rooftop farming systems can also reduce noise pollution from the city and protect roofs from the sun, rain and wind. In addition, it helps cities become more self-sufficient in food production. It also provides jobs and creates business opportunities in urban agriculture, helping a segment of urban residents earn extra income and stabilize their lives. Nowadays, rooftop farming systems are also designed with multi-level hydroponic systems or combined with fish farming to diversify food sources. Poultry and aquatic products can be raised on a large scale in the future. What do you think if this system can be widely developed in the future? Leave your comments below to let us know.