The Smaller Watkkfowl. hi 



from their parents, thus falling victims to any enemy. It is 

 always best to take the eggs and entrust them to a reliable hen 

 to hatch. A cross between a Silkie fowl and some breed of small 

 bantam makes the most suitable type of hen for the purpose. 

 The ducks' eggs should be taken any time after the laying of 

 the whole clutch, when incubation has commenced. This stage 

 being determined by the presence of down in the nest. 



When the young ducks are hatched they should be left 

 with the foster hen in the nest for some twenty- four hours, when 

 they should be transferred with her to a coop, which should be 

 set out on dry ground in a sunny position. The young ducks 

 should not be allowed access to water for the first day or two, 

 especially in the case of the smaller Teal, which are apt to get 

 their down saturated with water, when they readily catch cold 

 and die. They need very careful watching for the first week or 

 so of their lives. 



Custard or finely-chopped yolk of egg, mixed with ants' 

 eggs and biscuit meal or stale bread crumbs forms a good food 

 for the young ducks. Duckweed is also a necessity and should 

 always be supplied, at first in very shallow dishes, and after- 

 wards on a small pond. 



Young ducks should not have access to the large duck 

 pond until they are almost full-grown, but should be reared on 

 quite small ponds to which no other ducks have access, or they 

 will take all the food provided for the ducklings. Ducklings 

 should be pinioned when about a week old, when the operation 

 is such a slight one that it will cause them no inconvenience. 

 As they grow older, soaked Canary-seed and finally wheat and 

 barley .should be given. For diving ducklings, such as Pochards 

 and Tufted Ducks, ground bullock's heart or liver .should be 

 added to the diet after the finst fortnight of their lives. 



