102 



POUI-JTRY FOR ANY PURPOSE WITH PROFIT 



ening the ducks, but against their injuring one another in 

 their eagerness to get at the feed. 



The nervousness of ducks is much more in evidence 

 when they are kept in yards without water runs than 

 when they have water for swimming. In the yards where 

 only drinking water is provided, the ducks are much 

 quieter and pay much less attention to things that dis- 

 turb them if the water supply is constant. This can be 

 arranged either by having water piped to all houses an 1 

 yards, with automatic faucets at each drinking place, or 

 by having faucets at different convenient points on the 

 plant where by opening a faucet for a definite short period 

 at approximate intervals the supply of water in the ves- 

 sels on a long line of pipe is replenished. 



When the feed is distributed on a duck plant with 

 horse and wagon, it is the usual practice to distribute it in 

 wooden pails, placing these conveniently for the feeders 

 all over the farm before feeding begins. The ducks do 

 not associate the appearance of the horse and wagon 

 loaded with pails with the feeding and pay no attention 

 to it. The feed having been thus distributed, at a signal 

 all the feeders begin and put it in the troughs as quickly 

 and as quietly as possible. In the brooder houses where 

 the youngest ducks are fed the work is done rather more 

 leisurely and with a little closer attention to giving the 

 ducks only what they will clean up promptly. With the 

 flocks that are older and are not fed so often it does not 

 matter if a little is left after the first rush for feed. The 

 birds will soon come back and clean it up, and the all- 

 important thing is that they shall all have enough to keep 

 them feeling comfortable until the next meal. 



On many duck farms the feed is distributed from a 

 car running on a track built over the fences. This can be 

 done because the fences need not be over two feet in 

 height, and are sometimes lower than that. When the 

 feed is distributed in this way the feeder uses a shovel, 

 and as he pushes the car ahead of him throws the mash 

 to wide troughs in each pen, placed at the right distance 

 from the track. In this way the feeding can be done 

 very rapidly. 



Rate of Growth of Ducks 



Remarkable as is the growth of an average chicken, it 



FRANCES ELLEN WHEELER FEEDING A FLOCK OF HER PEKIN DUCKS 



is slow compared to that of a Pekin, Aylesbury or Rouen 

 duck. The combined standard weight of a Pekin duck and 

 drake at maturity is just the same as the combined stand- 

 ard weight of a Plymouth Rock cock and hen. The duck- 

 ling at hatching weighs about the same as an average 

 Rock chicken. At ten weeks old the duckling is ready for 

 market, not as a small broiler, but at a weight of six to 

 seven pounds. The rate of growth for a lot of Pekin 

 ducklings on a New England duck farm that were weighed 

 at intervals of two weeks, was as follows: 



Weight at hatching iy 2 ounces 



Weight at two weeks 14 ounces 



Weight at four weeks 2 pounds 



Weight at six weeks 4% pounds 



Weight at eight weeks 5% pounds 



Weight at ten weeks 7M> pounds 



Comparing these figures with the data on the rate of 

 growth of chickens given in Chapter VI, the reader will 

 see that the average Pekin duck is heavier at ten weeks 

 than the average Plymouth Rock cockerel at twenty-four, 

 and heavier at eight weeks than the average Plymouth 

 Rock pullet at twenty weeks. The green duck when mar- 

 keted in this stage is quite fat. After about the twelfth 

 week the duck begins to molt its "chick feathers" and 

 grow its adult plumage, and if held until the new coat is 

 coming strong it is not only hard to dress, but actually 

 loses weight, and cannot be again put in marketable con- 

 dition until after it is full grown. 



Feeding Ducklings for Stock Birds 

 Commerical duck growers select their breeding birds 

 from their general stock of young ducks when putting 

 them into the fattening pens. Up to that time the same 

 rations and conditions are suitable for all. As a rule, no 

 ducks for breeders are taken from the earliest hatches, 

 for these are not likely to be the best birds of the season, 

 and they would have to be carried too long before they 

 were needed. The common practice is to select the most 

 of the birds to be kept for breeding from certain hatches 

 which are conspicuously good, during May or June. These 

 ducks, kept for stock purposes, are given the same ration 

 that they had from three to six weeks until full grown. As 

 soon as possible after selection they are put in more 

 roomy quarters than are allotted those in preparation for 



market. Special attention is 

 given to supplying them well 

 with green feed. On the 

 farms that have limited 

 water range the best of this 

 is given to the stock, old 

 and young, that will be used 

 for breeding the next season. 

 The object is to secure the 

 full development of bone and 

 muscle, and make birds of 

 full standard weight when 

 carrying a moderate amount 

 of fat. The duck in this 

 condition is right for breed- 

 ing, and also as good as can 

 be for exhibition. The prac- 

 tice of some exhibitors of 

 making ducks very fat before 

 showing them, giving them 

 extraordinary weight and ap- 

 parent size is detrimental to 

 the birds. It is the ducks 

 so treated that shrink so 

 much in weight when shown. 

 A well-fleshed specimen will 

 not make any extraordinary 

 shrinkage unless conditions 

 attending its exhibition are 

 uncommonly bad. 



