Received: Sep 04, 2025 / Accepted: May 05, 2026 / Published: Jun 30, 2026
This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of drinking water sources on the growth performance and carcass yield and quality of commercial Cherry Valley ducks raised in the coastal area of Thai Thuy (formerly Thai Binh province). A total of 225 Cherry Valley ducks (81 males and 144 females) were randomly assigned to one of three treatments corresponding to different drinking water sources (filtered water, tap water, and pond water), with three replicates of 25 ducks each. The results showed that water source significantly influenced the final body weight and average daily gain, with ducks receiving filtered or tap water performing better than those given pond water (P <0.05). However, weight gain, feed intake, and the feed conversion ratio were not affected (P >0.05). Carcass yield was generally unaffected by the drinking water source, except for thigh weight, while meat quality traits such as pH and color varied notably across the different water sources. Sex had a clear effect on growth and meat quality, with male ducks showing faster growth and higher thigh pH (P <0.05), while females exhibited greater breast water loss (P <0.05). The interaction between water source and sex also influenced the final body weight, growth rate, and several meat quality traits (L*, a*, pH15, b*) (P <0.05).
