DOST scientists want color-coded ducks

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is pushing color-coding for ducks to improve the production of the country’s famous street food “balut.”

Scientists of the DOST’s Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development said they are getting promising results in genotype-based test crossing of Philippine Mallard ducks in Tiaong, Quezon.

Synan Baguio, DOST livestock research division assistant director, said they attained a 90-percent precision rate during an initial testing of female and male ducks.

Baguio said female ducks have brown feathers while male ducks have black plumage.

By identifying the duck’s gender through its color, local duck growers can save on labor costs by doing away with the tedious process of checking the genital area of ducklings to identify female layers.

The physical differentiation between males and females duck is called sexual dimorphism.

“Through this research, we found out that if we cross the brown with the black, their offspring, we will have what we call sexual dimorphism,” Baguio, who has a doctorate in Animal Science majoring in Reproductive Physiology from UP Los Baños, and a Master of Science in Animal Science majoring in Animal Behavior and Endicronology from the University of Melbourne, said.