10. Success Story :Duck Hatchery

Hatching duck egg and selling ducklings (5 to 7 day old) to the needy farmers became livelihood option of scheduled tribes farmers (Yerukala) in Singarayakonda Mandal.
Nearly 25 farmers operating duck hatching units in Singarayakonda mandal by procuring fertile duck eggs from East and West Godavari areas and hatching them in incubating racks (Locally designed by the farmers) for 28 days and rearing the ducklings for 5 to 7 days and selling them to the needy farmers of Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu.
Incubator: the incubator is designed locally by the farmers @ Rs.7000/- per incubator of 8000 eggs capacity against an incubator of 10,000 eggs capacity for Rs.1,20,000/- by reputed companies. (Automatic). The technical specifications are (maintenance of temperature, turning of eggs, five turnings per day) accurately maintained by the farmers and hatchining percentage is almost equal to automatic incubator (80 to 90 %) depending upon the fertility of the eggs.

Problems identified

Inputs – Non availability of thermostat component of incubator locally.
Duck Management – The farmers (Duck rearing) are facing problems with disease management in addition to the services offered by Animal Husbandry department it is proposed to organize a one day workshop on DUCK HEALTH MANAGEMENT by Poultry Science department, ANGRAU Hyderabad.
Electricity – Unit cost: The Duck hatchers units being charged on the lines of commercial enterprises, the farmers facing problem to pay huge electricity bill. They appealed to the District Collector for a subsidized electricity on par with Agriculture.