MANAGEMENT OF DUCKS 155 



the stock ducks during the winter and for the first young ducks 

 put on the land in the spring. Where the farms are large 

 enough, all ducks may be kept off a part of the land each year 

 and crops grown on it. The farms located at the waterside do 

 not have to look to the purification of the land so carefully, 

 because the rains wash a great deal of the droppings away. 

 Some of these farms get large quantities of river grass from 

 the streams and cut it up to mix with the food for the ducks. 



DUCK FANCIERS' METHODS 



There are two general classes of duck fanciers : those who 

 breed one or more of the useful varieties for fine form and 

 feather points, and those who breed the ornamental varieties. 

 Breeders of the latter class usually keep other kinds of orna- 

 mental poultry also. 



The methods of the fanciers of useful kinds of ducks compare 

 with those of the practical growers who handle small numbers 

 as do those of the fowl fancier with the methods of the poultry 

 keeper who keeps a few fowls for his own use. In a general 

 way they are the same, yet wherever it is necessary they are 

 modified to secure the best possible development of the type. If 

 a duck fancier has not a natural water supply for his ducks, he 

 either makes a small artificial pond or ditch or gives them water 

 for bathing much oftener than the commercial duck grower 

 thinks is necessary. He also gives both old and young ducks 

 more room, and encourages them to take exercise, because this 

 makes them stronger, more symmetrical, and better able to stand 

 transportation and the handling to which they are subjected when 

 taken to shows. Most duck fanciers are also fanciers of fowls or 

 of some other kind of poultry. The competition in ducks is not 

 nearly so keen as in fowls. Hence they are so much less inter- 

 esting to a fancier that few are satisfied with the sport that may 

 be obtained from exhibiting ducks only. 



