MANAGEMENT OF FANCY WATERFOWL 



577 



water : vvith only a stagnant puddle such as 

 suffices large market ducks for weeks, these 

 neither keep healthy nor can preserve their 

 plumage. With adequate shade and 

 General a few shrubs and such a fresh pool, 



Management a pair or two of birds will keep in 

 FMicy ^^''y good order and health ; but to 



Waterfowl. breed most of them, more should be 

 provided. The water should for such 

 a purpose be rather larger, and have tall rushes 

 round it in some parts, or shrubs for shelter, 

 with some grass, and the whole be fenced round. 

 Where there is any danger from rats, inch-mesh 

 netting should be carried all round a foot into 

 the ground, which is generally effective ; but 

 fancy ducks are specially in danger from such 

 vermin. If the pond is large enough to have 

 a small island in the middle, or even a raft, 

 all the better. If there are many shrubs and 

 trees, it is better still ; and besides the shelter 

 given by these and the flags or rushes, small 

 nesting boxes like little kennels may be placed 

 about in sheltered places, and even a few up 

 among low branches, where perching ducks like 

 Mandarins or Carolinas are kept. Care should 

 be taken not to startle or frighten them, and 

 to feed them regularly, giving the adults grain 

 in pans of water, and if in small yards adding 

 duck-weed and some boiled liver chopped 

 small : in larger enclosures they will forage 

 greens and animal food for themselves. A few 

 of the less wild and larger varieties, such as 

 Bahamas, will range over a farm, and need 

 give no trouble at all. 



The eggs of small ducks mostly hatch in 

 about twenty-five or twenty-six days, and do 

 best under Silky hens. When hatched they 

 should be cooped with the mother in a warm 

 place, but provided with ample shade, with some 

 clean turf in front, and be fenced in pretty 

 near the hen for two or three weeks. They 

 can be fed first on egg and bread-crumb and 

 duck-weed or minced grass, gradually adding 

 Spratt or meal, and a little minced boiled liver, 

 or small worms, and small seeds and grain. 

 They should not have too much water, and it 

 is best given with duck-weed in it, which will 

 supply small molluscs and other food as well, 

 and helps greatly in rearing them. Gradually 

 they come on to seeds and grain only, given 

 in their water with the duck-weed, but clearing 

 away all that is left every day. 



There are two ways of confining them. If 

 the enclosure is small, it is not very expensive 

 to enclose it entirely with netting, either of 

 wire or tanned twine. Otherwise, before they 

 begin to fly the young birds must be pinioned. 

 A sharp knife or strong pair of scissors is 



brought nearly close to the knuckle at the 

 first joint of the wing, and cuts the latter off, 

 carefully leaving on the limb the little pro- 

 jecting point carrying a plume of feathers, 

 which will protect the part. Let the bird then 

 dabble in cold water, and bleeding will quickly 

 stop, or hazeline lotion may be applied. 



Before exhibiting any of the more wild 

 varieties, the pair should be confined two or 

 three weeks in a quite small enclosure, also 

 with its pond, but with comparatively little 

 hiding place, that they may become tamer ; 

 and while thus taming, before transference to 

 a pen, particular care should be taken not to 

 frighten them. As a rule all the varieties, if 

 well kept, improve in brilliance of • plumage, 

 and become more and more domesticated, the 

 longer they live. A pair should never be ex- 

 hibited unless they have mated, or at least 

 lived together on friendly terms, as otherwise 

 the drake may very likely kill the female, most 

 of these ducks being very constant in their 

 affections, and resenting any interference with 

 them. This constancy to some extent facili- 

 tates hybridising, several of the small ducks 

 being so much alike that if brought up on 

 the same ground from the &^^, they often 

 attract males from kindred varieties. 



From the immense number of beautiful 

 waterfowl, distributed almost all over the world, 

 we can only here briefly describe a few of the 

 best known and most worthy of cultivation. 



Call Ducks are small descendants of the 

 Mallard, and formerly had a class at Birming- 

 ham, but are little kept now except in puolic 

 parks. The Grey resembles the 

 Call Ducks. Rouen in colour, the White is white 

 all over with a yellow bill. The 

 bills and heads are shorter than the Rouen 

 and Aylesbury, the forehead being rounded, or 

 with considerable " stop " as it is termed. 

 These birds breed freely, are very hardy, and 

 may be kept at large. 



The Black East India duck, known also as 

 the Buenos Ayres and Labrador, once filled 

 large classes, but appears little kept now. It 



also descends from the Mallard, and 

 Black jg fertile with all ordinary breeds. 



East India t^ n i i r i 



Ducks. ^^ ^'^^^ ^ small duck, of plumage 



all black with intense and brilliant 

 green lustre, and has been shown as small as 

 2 lbs. for the drake and if lbs. for the female, 

 though most exhibition birds would reach 5 lbs. 

 the pair. This duck is delicious eating, and 

 hence was also bred, by scores, larger in size ; 

 these larger sizes being hardy, while the small 



