33G 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



perhaps to them, tedious detail of experiments, 

 which cost me much time and attention, but for 

 which I was more than repaid by the successful 

 result, I shall now proceed to give, under different 

 headsi such simple directions as will enable our 

 planters and farmers to supply their tables 

 with this kind of poultry, which might be an 

 object to those who are in the habit of supplying 

 markets. 



1st. The Species and Varieties of Ducks best 

 adapted to the purpose of Breeding .—The only two 

 species of ducks that are raised in the United States 

 are what are commonly called the English Duck and 

 the Muscovy Duck. The English Duck is a 

 descendant of the wild duck that visits us every 

 winter in such numbers, called Mallard {Anas 

 Boschas) ; is found also in Europe, and breeds in 

 England. Although not the largest, it is certainly 

 among the finest-flavoured ducks in the world. 

 The flavour of the famous Canvass-Back Duck 

 (Anas Vallisneria) that is found so numerous in the 

 Chesapeake, and more recently in the Santee and 

 at the mouth of the Savannah River, is no doubt, 

 superior to it, but it is supposed that this is owing 

 to the peculiar kind of root on which that bird feeds, 

 believed to be the Vallisneria Americana, and that 

 were it fed on common food its flavour would not be 

 superior. The English Duck, which is so common 

 in our yards, has, from its long domestication, run 

 into a number of varieties which differ so rnuch 

 from each other as to appear like different species ; 

 they are of different sizes, of a variety of colours and 

 some are tufted. The variety to which I have 

 usually given the preference, goes by the common 

 name of Madagascar Duck; is distinguished by its 

 being of the largest size, having a pretty long neck, 

 and almost invariably alight streak above the eyes, 

 and usually a small streak extending from the lower 

 part of the upper mandible to below the eye. The 

 Muscovy Duck {Anas Moschata) is another duck 

 more recently introduced , but which is now very 

 common, and is welldeserving a place in our poultry- 

 yards. It was formerly, by most writers, con- 

 sidered as coming from the Eastern Continent; 

 but is now well ascertained to be a native of South 

 Amerca. This duck, in our southern climate, is, 

 perhaps, more hardy than the other : sets more 

 steady on its eggs, and lays in the spring and fall. 

 A mongrel breed between this species and the 

 Enghsh duck is easily produced, and has become 

 common ; but these, though they are good layers, 

 are unable to propagate their species. There are 

 other species of ducks, which the curious in these 

 matters have partially succeeded in domesticating. 

 I once saw a fine flock of the Gadwall Duck {Anas 

 Stropera) which an individual in the upper part of 

 the State of New York had succeeded in raising 

 from ducks which he had captured, and which bred 

 freely in his yard, and made no attempts at flying 

 away. Our beautiful summer duck (^raas Sponsa) 

 breeds freely in some parts of France and in the 

 Zoological Garden, in England. But it is very 

 probable that the two species above mentioned are 

 as well adapted to our purposes as any other, and 

 that for many years they will be the only ones 

 which will be generally kept in our poultry-yards. 

 One drake will answer for five or six ducks ; where 



mongrels are to be bred, place in separate yards 

 one Muscovy drake to four English ducks. 



2nd. The best mode of procuring an abundance 

 of Eggs. — When ducks are raised in the country 

 and have access to rice-fields, ditches, ponds, and 

 the borders of rivers, they find food best suited to 

 them, and generally lay early and freely ; but where 

 they are necessarily kept in yards, and do not 

 possess the above advantages, it will be necessary 

 to adapt their food to their situation. A mixture 

 of any kind of animal food with their rice-flour, 

 corn meal, or grist, given them regularly and plenti- 

 fully three times a day, will enable you to procure 

 a great abundance of eggs ; where this is neglected 

 your English ducks will lay but sparingly. I have 

 observed that animal food is not so necessary to 

 the Muscovy duck, but that they generally lay 

 freely on being fed on grain alone. 



3rd. Sitting and Hutching the Eggs. — The 

 English duck, although a good layer, is very care- 

 less about hatching its eggs until late in the season. 

 I have invariably used the common hen for that 

 purpose; and when the young ducks are removed, 

 as soon as they are dry their foster parent will sit 

 again on other eggs, and I have thus known a 

 single fowl to bring out three and even four broods 

 of young ducks in succession. In that case she 

 should be repaid for her faithfulness by being 

 richly fed. The young duckhngs in this climate 

 leave the shell on the twenty-sixth day; the Mus- 

 covy sits a few days longer. A fowl of tolerable 

 size will cover from thirteen to fifteen eggs. After 

 the eggs have been four or five days under the hen, 

 you may in the evening examine the eggs by the 

 light of a candle or lamp. Place the eggs longi- 

 tudinally between the fore finger and thumb — if 

 the egg is likely to hatch, it will be of a dark colour, 

 with streaks of red frequently perceptible ; and the 

 cavity on the thick end will be somewhat enlarged 

 and transparent. If it is a clear egg, it will be 

 wholly transparent, and it ought to be removed at 

 once ; and if it has not been too long kept in the 

 nest, it is still fit for use. 



In this way, when several hens have been set 

 nearly at the same time, it will frequently be 

 practicable to remove a sufficient number of clear 

 eggs, so as to place a fresh setting of eggs under 

 one or more of them. The Muscovy duck sits 

 faithfully, and may as well be permitted to hatch 

 her own young. 



4th. Method of Destroying Fowl Lice. — The 

 insects which infest the sitting hens may be easily 

 destroyed by thoroughly sprinkling the nest and 

 wetting the fowl even to the skin with a strong 

 decoction, made by pouring hot water on a good 

 handful of common leaf-tobacco, mixed when 

 cold with a table-spoonful of spirits of turpentine, 

 and double the quantity of gunpowder. It will 

 be well also occasionally to take away their 

 old nest, and make a new one of fresh hay or 

 straw. 



5th. Duck Coops, Food, and manner of Hearing 

 the Young. — Let your coop be made pretty large, 

 say three or four feet in length and three in depth ; 

 let it be well shingled so as to exclude all water, 

 and have a good pitch towards the front ; let it be 

 tight on three sides, and barred in front, with a 



