This case study documents an integrated fish-duck-poultry farming system adopted by a progressive farmer in Ri Bhoi district, Meghalaya, India. Four gravity-linked earthen ponds were managed as one unit, with fish as the primary enterprise and ducks and poultry as nutrient providers. Rohu (Labeo rohita) was reared in monoculture in one pond, while common carp (Cyprinus carpio), Amur carp (C. carpio haematopterus), and grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) were stocked in mixed culture in the others. Manure from Indian Runner ducks and poultry, together with leftover feed, was recycled to stimulate phytoplankton, zooplankton, periphyton and benthos, improving water productivity and reducing external inputs. Simple water conveyance between ponds helped distribute nutrients and support aeration.

Over an ~8-month cycle with partial harvests, the system produced multiple saleable outputs, fish, ducks, poultry, eggs and dyke crops (banana and turmeric), and delivered attractive farm-gate returns while maintaining favourable water quality. The approach illustrates how smallholders in high-rainfall hill states can intensify sustainably by coupling aquaculture with low-cost livestock components, creating diversified income streams, lowering feed costs, and enhancing climate resilience. Practical guidance is provided on pond layout, stocking, manuring, and day-to-day husbandry, with lessons for replication through state and national aquaculture missions.