VST Super Egg-Laying Ducks: A New Option for Livestock Farming in the Mekong Delta

The VST super-laying duck breed boasts exceptional egg production, reaching up to 290 eggs per hen per year, with consistent quality, high yolk yield, and large egg weight, making it particularly suitable for salted egg production.

The Vigova Poultry Research and Development Center (Vigova Center - under the Southern Livestock Research Institute) recently organized a workshop on "Technology and Techniques for Raising VST Super-Laying Ducks" in Vinh Long province to evaluate the effectiveness of the VST duck farming model - a high-yield egg-laying duck breed developed by the Center during the 2023-2025 period.

This is a key activity of the VST super-egg laying duck breeding pilot project being implemented in key provinces of the Mekong Delta region - an area with special natural advantages including a dense network of rivers and canals, large rice-growing areas, and an increasing demand for the development of duck-rice farming models.

Dr. Doan Duc Vu, Deputy Director of the Southern Livestock Research Institute, introduces the VST duck breed. Photo: Le Binh .

According to Dr. Doan Duc Vu, Deputy Director of the Southern Livestock Research Institute, the project aims to perfect breeding technology, breeding processes, and build a model for raising VST super-egg ducks - Vietnam's first egg-laying duck breed developed using advanced genetic technology, applying REML and BLUP in breed value assessment.

“The VST duck breed has outstanding egg production, reaching up to 290 eggs/hen/year, with consistent quality, high yolk content, and large egg weight, making it particularly suitable for producing salted eggs for domestic consumption and export,” Dr. Vu said.

At the workshop, Dr. Le Thanh Hai, the project leader for the breeding research, stated that the process of creating the VST super-laying duck breed took many years and was carried out in a very systematic manner. The research team began by selecting individual duck families with good productivity, monitoring the eggs of each duck, weighing and measuring them, and meticulously recording the data over many generations to filter out the most superior individuals.

“We had to monitor each egg, each hen, and every small characteristic of the breed. After each generation, we selected the best ones to breed. Thanks to our perseverance and complete data, the egg production of the VST duck breed increased significantly, the eggs were more uniform, and the yolks were more abundant, which is an important requirement for salted egg production,” Dr. Hai shared.

According to him, the encouraging thing is that both VST1 and VST2 duck breeds have shown very good adaptability when introduced to the Mekong Delta provinces. The ducks are healthy, eat well, tolerate heat well, and produce eggs consistently. "We want to create a Vietnamese duck breed, primarily for Vietnamese farmers. When we see that people are raising them effectively, we are very happy because our efforts of many years have been on the right track," said Dr. Hai.

Dr. Hai believes that if widely adopted, the VST duck breed will provide farmers in the Mekong Delta with more options for high-egg-producing duck breeds, reducing costs and increasing the competitiveness of Vietnamese egg products in the market.

The VST super-laying duck breed, tested in the Mekong Delta, has shown good adaptability, high laying rates, and consistent egg quality, resulting in high economic efficiency. Photo: Le Thanh Hai .

Alongside breeding work, Ms. Pham Thi Nhu Tuyet (Vigova Center) also emphasized the importance of biosecure farming models in the context of climate change, complex diseases, and increasingly high demands for emission reduction. Ms. Tuyet stated that the VST duck breeding process has been fully developed, from preparing the farm, caring for ducklings, the pre-breeding stage to the laying stage, along with standards for density, feed, water, weight management, and egg collection.

“By applying the correct procedures, the duck flock will achieve a high and stable laying rate, reasonable feed consumption, and significantly reduced disease risks. This is a key factor that makes this model suitable for the Mekong Delta region – where duck farming is strongly shifting towards more intensive and professional methods,” said Ms. Tuyet.

Beyond just technical evaluation, the workshop also gathered feedback from those directly involved in the experimental model.

Mr. Tran Trong Ghi, a farmer in Dong Thap province, said that after more than 6 months of experimentally raising 600 VST ducks, the egg production of his flock is significantly higher than the previous breed. “The laying rate consistently remains at 88-92%, the eggshells are hard, and the yolks are abundant, making them very popular with traders. More importantly, the ducks are less prone to disease, eat well, and adapt well to the erratic weather conditions this year,” Mr. Ghi shared.

According to scientists, the introduction of the VST super-laying duck breed is a significant step forward for Vietnam's poultry breeding industry, helping to ensure a reliable source of high-quality breeding stock, reducing dependence on imports, and increasing added value in duck farming. The project also contributes to linking scientific research with practical production, creating a foundation for building a value chain for duck eggs – a strong specialty of the Mekong Delta region.

In the coming period, the Vigova Center and the Southern Livestock Research Institute will propose agricultural extension projects in localities to expand the production of the VST super-laying duck breed on a large scale, provide technical support to farmers and businesses, thereby creating a new breakthrough for duck farming in Vietnam.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/vit-sieu-trung-vst-lua-chon-moi-cho-chan-nuoi-dbscl-d781668.html