168 PROPAGATION OF WILD BIRDS 



be before them from the very first, also water in drinking 

 fonts in which they can dip only their bills. It is astonish- 

 ing how soaked and bedraggled small ducklings can get with 

 little opportunity. The ordinary commercial chick fonts 

 are apt to be too large at first. I found the best way was 

 to take a small opened tin can, punch two holes on opposite 

 sides about half an inch from the bottom, fill the can with 

 water, and stand it reversed in a close-fitting, rather deep 

 saucer or small dish. The can supplies water in the dish to 

 the level of the holes in the can, and the ducklings can only 

 insert their bills. 



First Feeding. At the very first I began by giving them, 

 in a small dish, a little hard-boiled egg, finely ground, mixed 

 with cracker crumbs or rolled oats, just crumbly moist, 

 and a little sand. They soon get to feeding. If one picks 

 up a duckling and sticks its bill in the water, it likes the sen- 

 sation and will experiment for itself, the others soon copying. 

 To get them to eating, it seems to expedite matters to stick 

 some of the egg against the tin water can, about as high as 

 they can easily reach. Somehow they like to pick at things 

 which are elevated, and they soon sample the egg, and usually 

 are eating in the course of an hour. When they are with 

 the hen, she will soon instruct them. The hen should be 

 fed with grain, which the ducklings will not touch, to pre- 

 vent her from gobbling up the egg. When the young have 

 learned to eat they can be fed from a dish outside the coop, 

 keeping the hen shut up behind the bars. Some persons 

 throw food on the ground, but, especially where the same 

 ground must be used for some time, it is better to use a 

 dish or trough, keeping everything clean and sweet, which 

 is most important. 



Feed Moderately. Feeding at the very first should be 

 often, a little at a time, about five times a day. While they 



