52 ARTIFICIAL REARING OF WILD DUCKS 



The reader should remember Mr. Whealton's state- 

 ment that his young birds are not confined and supple- 

 ment the cornmeal ration, which he feeds, with many 

 kinds of insect life and the seeds, leaves and roots of 

 various land and aquatic grasses and plants, "which 

 abound in his enclosures." The English writers and 

 gamekeepers regard the duck meal as essential where the 

 ducks do not secure the supplemental foods mentioned. 

 I have records of many thousands of ducks which were 

 reared, almost without any loss, on the prepared duck 

 meal. 



Ducks are now reared even more easily than pheas- 

 ants are, and the young birds seem less subject to dis- 

 eases. 



At one time the small bantams were regarded as the 

 best foster-mothers for pheasants and ducks, but the 

 common barnyard fowls of all breeds are now regarded 

 as good as any; the most docile hens and those which 

 are the more easily handled at the feeding time are 

 better than hens which are wild and unruly, since the 

 last named break the eggs. Duck eggs are more fragile 

 than the eggs of poultry. 



At a duck preserve in New Jersey, where I spent some 

 time studying the gamekeeper's art, the sitting hens are 

 placed in boxes which are built inside of a hatching 

 house (see illustration) extending from the floor nearly 

 to the low ceiling. The hens are tested on eggs until it 

 is ascertained that they will sit steadily, when some of the 

 duck eggs, which have been gathered in large numbers, 

 are placed under them. 



The eggs when they are gathered are placed on end 

 in a tray containing bran, sawdust, hay or other suit- 



