Itik : The Best to Pick
In this study the researchers focus mainly on itik raising business, its benefits, advantages, and processes. The researchers aimed to promote duck raising in our province. This is to educate the society on how to raise itik in their community as one of their primary sources of living. Ducks are grouped into three classes, (1) meat or general purpose, (2) egg production, and (3) ornamental. The meat or the general purpose class of ducks is usually raised for its meat while the egg production type is raised for its eggs because it produces higher quality of egg than the other types. On the other hand, ornamental types of ducks are rarely found on poultry for they are wild types. Some are usually eaten while others are not and they have colorful feathers and fond to watch. The duck or ”itik” here in the Philippines also known as the Pateros Grade of the Philippines or native duck has a scientific name of Anas platyrhynchos. In the Philippines there are so many kinds of ducks like, itik, bibe, pato, and others, which are considered belonging to different species.
The idea of itik raising, in the Philippines started from Pateros, Metro Manila. The native Pateros duck or itik are being used in the said business because unlike chickens they produce larger eggs weighing 65 -75 grams. Their common feather colors are black and gray or the combination of the two. Some are brown while others have yellow and white feathers mixed with green. Male ducks have coarser heads and heavier bodies than female. Male emits shrill high-pitched sounds also known as “gumagakgak”. They have curly feathers on top of their tails. In some other duck hatcheries, determination of its gender is done at the age of 2 to 3 days. Female ducks are distinguished by its flat tail, light colored beak and low – pitched quacking sound.
According to Mr. Lolito Santos , itik raiser from Gapan City , Nueva Ecija. There are two methods to handle itik business. The first is to buy ducklings and raised them until they lay eggs and the starting for this is Php. 27.00 for each duckling and accordingly the 500 is best number of duckling to start with the business. The second method is to buy itik which is dumalaga (a stage where female itik is ready to bare eggs) and each dumalaga price is ranging from Php. 140.00 – Php. 170.00 each. The difference between the two method in duckling method, it will take 4 – 6 months before they lay eggs until it reaches seven months or pangungulag stage (a stage in female itik wherein it halt from hatching and its feather routinely remove from the body) which will take three weeks to one month, in this case there is no choice than to put them in poultry and fed with duck pellets until the feathers reappear. As the body covered with feathers again it is a signal that itik can lay eggs again. But this time it will lay larger eggs. The pangungulag stage routinely happens after seven months and an stand to lay eggs until five years now it depends on the itik raiser when his going to sell the itik. In Dumalaga Method, itik raisers just buy dumalaga itik which are ready to hatch and before it reaches the pangungulag stage they sell it and buy another set of dumalaga itik.