354 AGRICULTURE FOR COMMON SCHOOLS 



chickens. Of course, plenty of water, grit, and charcoal are 

 necessities. 



The natural food of ducks is vegetable and animal and al- 

 ways in the soft state. The duck has no crop and the food 

 passes directly to the gizzard. Food for young ducklings at 

 first should be cracker or bread crumbs and corn-meal 

 moistened. In a few days a mixture of bran, corn-meal, 

 rolled oats, and beef scrap may be given. Some sand may 

 be mixed with the feed to good advantage. Green feed like 

 grass and clover should be plentifully supplied. Ducks will 

 do well without water to swim in. 



Goslings also require soft feed. Their first food should be 

 grass, fed on the sod;* then corn-meal, moistened, with a 

 little sand and charcoal mixed in. After the goslings are 

 four or five days old they can be allowed to roam where they 

 will, but they should continue to receive soft food like corn- 

 meal and wheat bran mixed and cooked. Geese are naturally 

 grass-eaters, and a pasture or orchard is where they do best. 

 A patch of rape is most excellent for geese. So also is clover. 



Young turkeys are very delicate and must be carefully 

 protected from wet grass and rain until they are about six or 

 seven weeks old. Soft feed is best also for young turkeys. 

 Stale bread or corn bread dipped in milk is excellent. When 

 the grass is dry they should have plenty of range to catch in- 

 sects. After they are six weeks or more old they can eat any- 

 thing that is good for chickens. Turkeys need plenty of 

 range to do well. 



One thing should be kept in mind concerning the feeding 

 of all young poultry — the feed should be fresh and free from 

 all sourness, 



* Farmers' Bulletin No. 64. 



