130 MRS. BASLEY'S WESTERN POULTRY BOOK 



place grit by them and expect them to eat it, but mix the sand in 

 their food and so compel them to eat it as it is the most essential 

 part of the whole thing. 



Scatter the food on a board, place the young ducklings on it and 

 they will be busily eating it within ten minutes. One hundred to 

 one hundred and fifty ducks can be put in one brooder six feet long. 

 When two or three weeks old, not more than seventy-five should be 

 kept in one brooder. The heat under the hover should be kept at 

 about 90 degrees for the first day or two, when it should be grad- 

 ually reduced as the ducks grow older. In the climate of Southern 

 California, ducklings rarely require brooder heat more than two 

 weeks. 



The second day rolled oats and bran can be added to the food; 

 a little finely cut clover, lettuce or cabbage can now be safely used. 

 At ten days feed one-fourth corn meal, the rest wheat bran with a 

 little rolled oats mixed in, not forgetting the grit, about ten per cent 

 of ground beef scraps, and the same of green food. At six weeks 

 Quaker oats, grit and ten per cent beef scraps ; at eight weeks old 

 feed equal parts of bran and corn meal with a little Quaker oats, 

 grit and beef scraps, but no green food. 



The birds should be ready for the market at ten weeks old. 

 They should be fed four times a day until six weeks old, then three 

 times is sufficient. They should be watered only when fed until 

 six weeks old, then they should be watered between meals also. 

 Feed at each meal all they will eat up clean, then take the remain- 

 der away; keep the pens dry and clean and be sure you give them 

 shade. 



For breeding birds, old and young, during the summer and fall, 

 when they are not laying feed three parts wheat bran, one part 

 Quaker oat feed, one part corn meal, five per cent beef scraps 

 ground fine, and five per cent grit, and all the green feed they will 

 eat in the shape of corn fodder cut fine, clover, or oat fodder, or 

 alfalfa. Feed this mixture twice a day, all they will eat. 



For laying birds equal parts of wheat bran and corn meal, 

 twenty per cent of Quaker oat feed, ten per cent of boiled turnips 

 or potatoes, fifteen per cent of clover rowen, alfalfa, green rye or 

 refuse cabbage chopped fine and five per cent of grit. Feed twice a 

 day all they will eat, with a lunch of corn .and oats at noon ; keep 

 grit and crushed oyster shells before them all the time. 



Mr. Rankin adds : "I wish to emphasize several points. Do not 

 forget the grit, it is absolutely essential. Never feed more than a 

 little bird will eat up clean. Keep them a little hungry. See that 

 the pens and yards are sweet and clean, for though ducklings may 

 stand more neglect than chicks, remember that they will not thrive 

 in filth. If any one fails in the duck business, it must be through 

 his own incompetency and neglect." 



Mr. Rankin has his yards swept twice a week. These sweep- 

 ings amount to many tons each season, and are spread evenly over 

 his grass farm, giving enormous crops of good hay, so that where, 

 twenty years ago, only six tons of hay were cut, now the crop is 

 125 tons. - 



