238 Farm Poultry 



usually kept in moderate -sized flocks, that roam 

 at will over a considerable portion of the prem- 

 ises. When reared under these conditions, the 

 ducks frequently prove beneficial in the destruc- 

 tion of various insect pests. They will travel 

 long distances, and in their rambles are con- 

 tinually on the lookout for food; both vegetable 

 and animal life are greedily consumed. Ducks 

 may become, under certain conditions, quite as 

 destructive to farm crops as chickens, although 

 if streams or wet fields are included within their 

 range a considerable portion of their time is 

 given to hunting food in these places. 



Those who enter into duck -raising extensively 

 rear the fowls almost exclusively for meat. The 

 eggs produced by extensive duck raisers are not 

 put on the market as food to any great extent, in 

 competition with eggs that are produced cheaper 

 by the noted egg breeds of hens. Ducks can 

 seldom successfully compete with hens for egg 

 production. 



Many farmers prefer, for various reasons, to 

 keep ducks rather than hens. It is well known 

 that ducks are comparatively free from disease 

 and are not nearly so likely to be troubled with 

 vermin as hens. This is of considerable im- 

 portance on many farms where the fowls are not 

 given much care and attention. 



Ducks are much more easily confined than 



