Cacao pod husk (CPH) waste is a byproduct of cacao bean processing that retains nutritional value potentially beneficial for ducks; it works by facilitating feed ingredient substitution while maintaining nutritional balance within the animal's digestive tract. Field-scale research is required to assess the effectiveness of CPH waste in duck diets for enhancing the growth and production of local ducks, particularly in North Sulawesi. This study aimed to evaluate the growth and production performance of local ducks, thereby supporting innovations in animal protein supply in North Sulawesi through the utilization of CPH waste—a resource that does not compete with human food needs. A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was employed, featuring four treatments and eight replicates, with two starter-phase ducks per replicate. The treatments were including P0 (control diet without CPH waste of 0%), P1 (ration diet substituted with 6% CPH waste meal), P2 (ration diet substituted with 12% CPH waste meal), and P3 (ration diet substituted with 18% CPH waste meal). Observed variables included feed intake, body weight, body weight gain, and feed conversion ratio. The results indicated that incorporating CPH waste at levels exceeding 12% began to impair duck growth performance; this was evidenced by reduced feed intake, lower cumulative body weight, decreased daily weight gain, and a significant increase in the feed conversion ratio. Fermentation of CPH waste could be performed beforehand to increase protein content and reduce crude fiber levels, enabling its use at levels above 12% in grower-phase duck rations while enhancing the material's nutritional value.