246 BOARD OF AGRICLTLTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



The standard utility breeder is of more recent origin. He is 

 a result of the great demand for lower-priced hatching eggs and 

 stock. There are some of these who contract practically all 

 their eggs the year round to the meat producers in the South 

 Shore District. Some have incubators of their own, and when 

 there is a lull in the egg trade they hatch their surplus eggs and 

 sell the baby chicks or keep them for their own use. It seems 

 to me that this field of poultry work has the prospects for a 

 great future. There is a tremendous demand for eggs for 

 hatching from good, strong, vigorous utility stock. I attempted 

 to place an order with one of these utility breeders about the 

 middle of December 1914, and was informed that there were 

 orders ahead of mine aggregating 20,000 eggs. This man keeps 

 350 females, and as can be seen is unable to meet the demand 

 for hatching eggs. Many of the exhibition breeders are assisting 

 in supplying this demand by keeping what they term utility 

 pens, or matings. 



The Duck Business. 



This is the one line of poultry farming that has been reduced 

 to a system. The soft roaster business is fairly well system- 

 atized, but not nearly to such an extent as that of the duck 

 business. Duck eggs hatch well and the ducklings mature 

 early, usually at from ten to twelve weeks of age. Very few 

 diseases affect them, and they find a ready market the entire 

 year. The fact that thej' can be grown on the same ground for 

 a number of years without any trouble makes them a surer 

 crop than chickens. There are a number of men in New Eng- 

 land who market annually from 20,000 to 50,000 green ducks 

 besides selling many for breeders. A man with a good duck 

 plant is practically independent; that is, if he understands the 

 business. Climatic conditions are such in this State that duck 

 raisers are usually able to obtain green rye during the entire 

 winter season. This is an item of considerable importance, 

 inasmuch as a large portion of the ration of both ducks and 

 ducklings consists of green stuff. 



At Wrentham, Massachusetts, almost within hailing distance 

 of each other, are three large duck growers whose annual out- 

 put is not far from 100,000 green ducks, and two of them are 

 now enlarging their plants with a view of increasing the output 



