| Preface | p. ix |
| Acknowlegements | p. xi |
| History and Biology of the Domestic Duck | p. 1 |
| Domestication in China and the Far East | p. 3 |
| Mallard: Progenitor to Domestic Duck | p. 3 |
| The Natural History of Wild Mallard | p. 4 |
| Genetic Inheritance from Mallard | p. 6 |
| Geographic Distribution | p. 7 |
| Duck Breeds | p. 7 |
| Recent History and Performance | p. 9 |
| References | p. 12 |
| Systems of Production | p. 15 |
| Commercial Duck Production | p. 15 |
| Geography and Culture | p. 16 |
| Use of Open Water | p. 16 |
| Duck Ponds | p. 18 |
| Rice Paddies | p. 18 |
| Hygiene | p. 19 |
| Bacteria | p. 20 |
| Avian Influenza | p. 21 |
| Housing and Environment | p. 22 |
| History | p. 22 |
| Eastern Europe and Russia | p. 23 |
| European Community | p. 23 |
| USA and Canada | p. 25 |
| China | p. 26 |
| The Far East | p. 28 |
| Farm Size | p. 29 |
| House Size | p. 29 |
| Slatted Flooring | p. 30 |
| Provision for Cleaning | p. 30 |
| Other Considerations | p. 30 |
| Temperature | p. 31 |
| Ventilation | p. 34 |
| Ventilation in Cold and Cool Temperate Climates | p. 36 |
| Ventilation in Mediterranean and Hot Climates | p. 39 |
| Ventilation in a Continental Climate | p. 41 |
| Insulation in Cold and Cool Temperate Climates | p. 42 |
| Insulation in Hot Climates | p. 45 |
| The Brooding Environment | p. 43 |
| Brooding | p. 44 |
| Brooding in Hot Climates | p. 45 |
| Ventilation in the Brooding Stage | p. 46 |
| Lighting | p. 47 |
| Post-brooding Environment | p. 48 |
| Rearing in Hot Climates | p. 48 |
| Design and Placement of Feeders and Drinkers | p. 49 |
| Managing the Environment | p. 50 |
| References | p. 52 |
| Husbandry of Table Duckling | p. 53 |
| Feathering | p. 53 |
| Temperature, Feed Intake and Growth | p. 55 |
| High Temperature and Performance | p. 59 |
| Low Temperature and Performance | p. 64 |
| Temperature and Behaviour | p. 68 |
| Space and Performance | p. 69 |
| Light and Performance | p. 74 |
| Brooding Environment | p. 76 |
| Rearing Environment | p. 79 |
| Variability of Performance | p. 81 |
| The History of Improving Quality | p. 83 |
| Process Control | p. 86 |
| Reducing Common Cause Variation and Improving Performance | p. 88 |
| References | p. 89 |
| Nutrition and Factors Affecting Body Composition | p. 91 |
| Dietary Energy | p. 91 |
| Controlled Energy Intake | p. 96 |
| Factors Affecting Response to Dietary Energy | p. 97 |
| Protein, Amino Acids and Performance | p. 101 |
| Amino Acids | p. 103 |
| Energy and Protein Interaction | p. 107 |
| Optimum Nutrient Concentration | p. 108 |
| Factors Affecting Response to Nutrient Concentration | p. 109 |
| Free-choice Feeding | p. 111 |
| Pellets, Mash and Grain Plus Concentrate | p. 113 |
| Factors Affecting Body Composition | p. 116 |
| Age, Sex, Maturity and Body Composition | p. 119 |
| Market Requirements | p. 125 |
| Nutrition and Body Composition | p. 125 |
| Factors Affecting Response to Energy to Protein Ratio | p. 127 |
| References | p. 132 |
| Rearing of Parent Stock | p. 133 |
| Controlled Feeding | p. 133 |
| Controlled Growth and Physiological Development | p. 135 |
| Effect of Controlled Nutrient Intake on Growth | p. 139 |
| Effect of Age upon Potential for Growth | p. 142 |
| Effect of Temperature on Growth to Sexual Maturity | p. 144 |
| Effect of Restricted Growth on Age at Sexual Maturity | p. 146 |
| Effect of Controlled Growth on Laying Performance | p. 147 |
| Pattern of Growth and Age at Sexual Maturity | p. 150 |
| The Importance of Early Feed Restriction | p. 153 |
| Effects of Age and Live Weight upon Egg Weight | p. 155 |
| Overview of Restricted Live Weight, Age at Sexual Maturity and Laying Performance | p. 158 |
| Summary of Effects of Feed Restriction on Growth, Age at Sexual Maturity and Laying Performance | p. 159 |
| Body Composition and Age at Sexual Maturity | p. 160 |
| Summary of Effects of Body Composition on Age at Sexual Maturity | p. 166 |
| Effect of Natural Daylight upon Age at Sexual Maturity | p. 166 |
| Step-up Lighting Programmes | p. 170 |
| Step-down, step-up Lighting | p. 171 |
| Constant Lighting | p. 174 |
| Effect of Alternative Lighting Programmes During Rearing on Male Fertility | p. 174 |
| Rearing Light Programmes and Post-peak Laying Performance | p. 175 |
| Summary of Effects of Daylength upon Age at Sexual Maturity | p. 177 |
| Temperature, Controlled Growth and Age at Sexual Maturity | p. 178 |
| Effect of Age and Weight at Sexual Maturity upon Egg Production | p. 180 |
| Effect of Age at Sexual Maturity on Egg Weight | p. 182 |
| The Effect of Egg Weight on Growth | p. 184 |
| Factors Affecting Optimum Age at Sexual Maturity | p. 185 |
| Sexual Maturity of Egg-laying Breeds | p. 186 |
| Dietary Regime for Birds on Restricted Feed | p. 187 |
| Husbandry During Controlled Rearing | p. 188 |
| References | p. 190 |
| Management of Breeding Ducks | p. 192 |
| Environment | p. 192 |
| Nutrition | p. 196 |
| Controlling Egg Weight | p. 198 |
| Housing | p. 202 |
| Furniture and Equipment | p. 203 |
| Preparing Accommodation for Parent Stock or Laying Ducks | p. 204 |
| Transporting and Housing Parent Stock and Laying Ducks | p. 204 |
| Routine Husbandry of Parent Stock and Laying Ducks | p. 205 |
| Weekly Routines | p. 206 |
| Second Lay | p. 206 |
| Broodiness | p. 207 |
| Breeding Performance | p. 207 |
| References | p. 211 |
| Fertility and Hatchability | p. 212 |
| Effects of Selection | p. 212 |
| Fertility | p. 213 |
| Hatchability | p. 213 |
| Shell Structure and Weight Loss | p. 213 |
| Controlled Growth and Daylength | p. 217 |
| Lighting for Males | p. 222 |
| Season and Hatchability | p. 222 |
| Egg Quality | p. 225 |
| Husbandry | p. 225 |
| Improving Hatchability | p. 226 |
| References | p. 228 |
| Genetic Improvement | p. 229 |
| Objectives for Egg-producing Ducks | p. 229 |
| Methods of Selection for Egg Production | p. 230 |
| Objectives for Meat-producing Ducks | p. 230 |
| Methods of Selection for Meat Production | p. 231 |
| Selection of Sire Lines | p. 232 |
| Selection of Dam Lines | p. 233 |
| References | p. 234 |
| Index | p. 235 |
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