XVII 



DISEASES OF WILD DUCKS 



WILD ducks, autochthonic birds, are little subject to 

 disease. They are more easily reared than pheas- 

 ants.* The gamekeepers in America have been remark- 

 ably successful in rearing wild ducks in large numbers; 

 often on very small artificial waters. Excepting one in- 

 stance (when, unfortunately, the cause of the disease was 

 not ascertained, but which was due probably to the feed- 

 ing), I have never heard of any losses due to disease. 



The young ducks should have shade as well as sunlight. 

 Ducks hatched late in the spring or in the early summer 

 do not thrive as well as those hatched earlier. This, no 

 doubt, is on account of the hot weather which they en- 

 counter at an early stage of their existence when they are 

 hatched late, and when the ducks are exposed to too much 

 sun or heat they have a complaint which some duck rear- 

 ers term "straddles." They go stumbling about as if they 

 were dizzy and soon die. This is thought to be akin to 

 what we call sunstroke, if not identical. I had a young, 

 late hatched brood of mallards which were thus affected, 

 and since I did not know the cause of the trouble I moved 

 the hen and coop out to a sunny field where I thought 



""Wild Fowl." By L. H. De Visme Shaw. Fur Feather and Fin Series. 



128 



