MR. P. WALSH'S DUCK-FA JiM. 



S7I 



birds averaging about 60 lbs. per dozen when 

 killed, which for the Aylesbury and Pekin cross, 

 should be when they are between nine and ten 

 weeks old. It will be seen that the system 

 employed is not so speedy as that followed in 

 Bucks and Beds, and it is evident that the 

 quality, as already referred to, would not com- 

 mand the best prices in southern markets. 

 During the whole period of rearing and fattening 

 the birds are not allowed to swim in water, but 

 are given a small quantity to drink. 



" The killing is by dislocation of the neck. 

 As soon as the bird is killed, it is hung up by 

 one of the feet for five or ten minutes. The 

 killer has a barrel with the open end upwards, 

 and in the side of the barrel there are slits, into 

 which he puts one of the feet of the bird, allow- 

 ing the head to hang down. The object of this 

 is that the blood may gather in the neck. Thus 

 the plucking does not commence until nearly 

 ten minutes after the killing, and it is stated 

 that if done immediately the bird is dead, in 

 certain parts of the body the blood goes to the 

 holes from which the feathers have been drawn, 

 instead of to the neck. This statement I had 

 not heard before, and it may be peculiar to 

 ducks, as in connection with table poultry it is 

 customary to pluck directly the birds are dead. 

 The labour of attending to the ducklings, killing, 

 and plucking, occupied the attention of ten 

 men, chiefly Irishmen, who engage themselves 

 for the season from March to September. They 

 do everything, as no women are employed about 

 the place. 



" One most important point to keep in view 

 is the system pursued to avoid tainting the 

 ground. Of course, upon so large a farm there 

 is practically no limitation of space, but for con- 

 venience the fields near the house are generally 

 used. No field, after being employed one 

 season for the ducklings, is used again in the 

 same manner for at least three years ; and as 

 upon the field which has been used during 1901, 

 sometimes as many as 7,000 ducklings were to 

 be found at one time, it will be seen that the 

 ground was very thickly covered, and the 

 amount of manure produced must have been 

 very large indeed. Of course, the grass was 

 eaten closely, but the following year the growth 

 is luxuriant, and of fine quality, so that the 

 manurial value is very considerable. Mr. Walsh 

 thinks that the effect of this manure is exhausted 

 quickly, and that it would not remain much 

 beyond the second year. Upon that point, 

 however, his observations have not been made 

 at all closely. 



" This enterprise has now been carried on 

 without a break for eight years, and disposes of 



a statement made in T/ie Field not very long 

 ago, to the effect that no duck-farm had been 

 conducted for more than two years. The whole 

 enterprise is very simply carried out, yet with 

 great skill, and is a proof of what can be done 

 even in the most unlikely district by energy and 

 perseverance. Nearly all the birds are sent to 

 the great towns of Lancashire and Yorkshire, 

 and during the busy season as many as 1,500 

 are frequently despatched in one week. Mr. 

 Walsh is certainly favoured with railway rates, 

 as these are very reasonable indeed. It may be 

 mentioned that about Christmas time he also 

 feeds off something like 5,000 geese. The 

 feathers are carefully placed loosely in sacks, 

 which are hung up and sent away at the end of 

 the season. The wing and tail quills are thrown 

 away, as they cannot be sold, but the duck and 

 goose feathers realise very high prices. During 

 the season of 1901 a ton and a half of these 

 feathers were sold, and the money received, 

 amounting to nearly ^^250, goes a long way 

 towards paying the labour bill. 



" Three miles from Woodbridge in Suffolk is 

 a duck-farm which is conducted upon different 

 principles. This is at Dallinghoo, and is owned 

 by the Rev. Stewart Walford, whose manager, 

 Mr. R. W. Murrell, has courteously given me 

 all particulars with regard to the business which 

 he is building up there. Mr. Murrell was born 

 and brought up in Norfolk, but has lived many 

 years in Canada and the United States, where 

 he had considerable experience in this industry. 

 The farm is 35 acres in extent, mostly a meadow 

 with a little arable land, the soil being heavy 

 in its nature and distinctly poor in quality, the 

 original grass being coarse, and covered with a 

 rough growth which is of little value for feeding 

 purposes. 



" Here no attempt is made to keep breeding 

 stock, nor is any hatching done. The ducklings 

 are hatched by farmers, mostly in Norfolk, and 

 are bought very young, as follows : In January, 

 February, and March, one day old ; in April, 

 first week, one week old ; second week, two 

 weeks old ; third week, three weeks old ; fourth 

 week, four weeks old ; in May, first week and 

 onwards, five weeks old. The price paid for all 

 is one shilling each. The ducklings are never 

 purchased more than five weeks old, and none 

 are bought after August. When the birds are 

 received they are placed out in open pens, which 

 are formed by 50-yard rolls of netting, 2 inches 

 mesh and 18 inches high ; thus each pen is fifty 

 yards in circumference. The ducklings always 

 sleep in the open at all seasons after the age of 

 four weeks; previous to that age being accom- 

 modated in small sheds. During very rough 



