Vol. XVII. No. 428. 



THE AGRICULTimAL NEWS. 



2*'9' 



THE MUSCOVY DUCK. 



The Muscovy is a domesticated duct: which has 

 fur years been known to poultry keepers in the West 

 Indies, and especially amongst the peasantry: but it is 

 doubtful whether the rearing of them has ever been 

 seriouslv undertaken as a business proposition on a 

 commercial basis. In the following article, abstracted 

 from the Queensland Agricultiiml Journal, July 

 1918, a description of these birds, their habits, and the 

 small expense incurred in rearing them are given, 

 which should be of interest to poultry keeper.'' in these 

 parts, as indicating the financial benefit to be derived 

 from keeping Aluscovy ducks: — ' 



Originally, the Muscovy luck— a wild South American 

 duck — was caught and domesticated, and by careful breeding 

 these ducks have been mated np to a very fine standard 

 of perfection- 



Their natural colour was black and white, or blue-black 

 and dirty white, but fanciers have created two distinct 

 colours — white or black- The snowy white variety is, how- 

 ever, much more admired for its beautiful white plumage, 

 scarlet face, and pale orange-colour legs, -and the?e are much 

 more acceptable for market purposes on that account. Their 

 flesh is of fine flavour, and in greater proportion on their 

 breast bones than in any others of the duck family, and when 

 in their prime they often turn the scales at 12 to 14 ft- 



The Muscovies are noiseless, very docile, good layers, and 

 as sitters, hatchers, and mothers, are e.xcellent. Incubators 

 cannot equal their results as hatchers. They choose and 

 make their own nests, lay, sit and hatch, and owners have 

 absolutely no worry. Being small eaters, upon a free range 

 they can practically feed thera-selves. That is another point 

 greatly in their favour. Their food consists of over half 

 green stuff — grass, weeds, roots, and other herbage. Therefore, 

 two meals per day and free range make them mature quickly. 

 They commence to lay at between five and six months old, 

 and generally desire to sit after laying from twenty to thirty 

 eggs. Furthermore, Muscovy ducks, from hatching onward, 

 are extremely hardy and seldom ail. 



The ducklings are of strong constitution from the shell. 

 They agree very well among themselves, therefore a whole 

 flock can be allowed to range together. Wherever Muscovy 

 ducks are kept, they never cause any annoyance to neighbours, 

 are never alarmed or timid, and it is practically impossible to 

 frighten them. As travellers they make the best, sitting in 

 their coops as contentedly as if in their own pen. 



The rapidity with which this variety has leaped into 

 favour is marvellous, and being marketable at an early age, 

 they command a high value. Hotels, restaurant, and boarding- 

 house proprietors favour them because of the high qualities of 

 meat they possess. 



They keep far easier than fowls in condition, and are 

 always plump. There is no special season for hatching them, 

 and "the ducklings are exceptionally strong at all times, 

 growing and fattening rapidly on any good food. 



, Duck farmers starting in a small way have three methods 

 c! making a beginning. First, hatching with incubators: 

 second, using Muscovy ducks as hatchers and mothers: third, 

 buying day or week-old ducklings fr-ra some reliable breeder. 

 The last plan is recommended as being the most reUable for 

 beginners. Should Muscovy duck- be used, it will be neces- 

 sary to purchase a pen of birds, and ise their eggs, or buy 

 a setting from some relutble breeder Should it be decided 

 tC' obtain ducklings, a broodei fo' -: '.ring them up to three 

 weeks old will be reouir?d 



Always feed at regular timea, laying stock us well as 

 breeders. Should birds increase in fat, the quantity of food 

 should not be decreased, but add a greater bulk of gieea 

 stuff. Remove all food.^ trotn troughs after twenty minute* 

 to half an hour, so that no sour food remains If birds are- 

 confined in a limited .■^pace thfe> are likely to go otf their 

 food, consequently the egg yield suffers. As this class of 

 water fowl is easily kept, reared, and quickly sold, a huge- 

 profit is assured for an enthusiast in duck farming. 



PRESERVING FISH WITHOUT ICE. 



Th^ Montlili/ Bullf-tin of AffrlcuUaral Infclli- 

 gence anil Plo/nt Disease--- for June 191^, publishes 

 a method for preserx ing fish without ice. which com- 

 pares very favourably with methods hitherto adopted 

 in these West Indian colonies, and seems worthy of 

 trial. 



In British Colombia and in England a new method has 

 been adopted for keeping fish. As ice is no longer necessary,, 

 the fish can be sold cheaper because the expense incurred 

 through the ice is done away with. The tish keeps its- 

 flavour perfectly, and the method may be applied to either 

 fresh or smoked fish, and even to meat. 



The whole procedure lasts only three hour.->. The fish 

 is first placed in a cooling tank containing water at a low 

 temperature After half an hour the latent heat of the 

 fish has completely disappeared The fish is then placed in 

 a tank containing sea-water, or fresh water to which .salt has 

 been added. To prevent the water from freezing it is stirred 

 with a pump which sends it into a pipe, in which it passes 

 through a filter filled with willow charcoal which kills all 

 bacteria, and then passes out again. The extreme tempera- 

 ture of the .salt solution clo.ses the pores of the skin of the 

 fish, prevents saturation, and acts on the exterior as a disin- 

 fectant At the end of three hours the fish is taken out and 

 has the appearance of fresh fish. There is no danger of its 

 going bad for ten days, and it may be kept for months in 

 a cold room. A plant has been set up in Portugal for 

 pre.serving fre-h fish by this niethol According to the 

 Knglish engineers whn installed the plant, the fish keeps fresh 

 and in excellent condition for about fifteen days, even at a 

 variable temperature. The flavour is that of fresh fish. It 

 does not go soft like fish ke[)t in ice, and may be smoked 

 after having been treated. The method is highly recom- 

 mended by the Inspectfn of the liominion fisheries, 



M. A. Cligny, I lirector of the .Marine Station of Hou- 

 lognesur Mer, France, believes the method to be of the 

 greatest value. It includes two independent parts, the first 

 of which appears the more original, and may be called 

 pre-refrigeration. It is always advisable to wash fish 

 before any freezing procedure, and it would be excellent 

 to wash it in very coUi water which would bring 

 it to a temperature of about 0°tl This is an important 

 improvement on the expensive and defective method of 

 covering it with ice or laying it out in cold and relatively 

 large stores for a period of time, which must of necessity be 

 very long. Pre refrigeration by thoroujih washing in very 

 cold water could be carried out advantageously in fishing 

 boats. It might be of gre;it imporUuice in the mi.xed instal- 

 lations, proposed by M. Cligny for fishing boats, iw which 

 the use of ice plays its e.ssential part. 



The second part of the method con.<ists in freezing the 

 fish previously cooled to O'C This second stage may be 

 attained by the use of ice, dry cold. or. as the unilior pro- 

 poses, soakinsr in cold brine. 



