Varying Patterns of Breeding Use on Duck Farms in China and Implications for Microbial Resistance Strategies

The study evaluated the effects of different breeding modes on production performance, microbial population, breeding costs, and economic efficiency of broiler ducks. The results showed that the bacterial detection rates of the cage-rearing system (CRS) ducks were all lower than the flat-rearing system (FRS) ducks. Two hundred forty-seven strains of E. coli, Staphylococcus, and Clostridium perfringens were isolated, and the detection rates were 62%, 16%, and 22%, respectively. The results of the drug sensitivity tests showed that all bacteria were highly resistant to florfenicol and neomycin. The results of drug resistance gene detection showed that E. coli carried a high positive rate of tetracycline resistance gene; this is also true for Staphylococcus. C. perfringens carried the highest positive rate of sulfonamide and aminoglycoside resistance genes. In addition, statistical analysis of the survival rate and production performance of seven batches of ducks showed that the survival rate of CRS was significantly higher than that of FRS, the age at slaughter was 4 days earlier, and the feed-to-meat ratio was reduced, resulting in lower costs and higher profits. It was concluded that compared with flat-breeding meat ducks, cage-breeding meat ducks have a high survival rate, low die-off rate, good production performance, low breeding costs, and high economic benefits.