108 CONFINEMENT HATCHED BY HENS. 



ther, particularly, it is useful to clip the tails of the 

 ducklings, and the surrounding down beneath, since 

 they are else apt to draggle and weaken themselves. 

 The duck should be cooped at a distance from any 

 other. 



The period of her CONFINEMENT to the coop, de- 

 pends on the weather and the strength of the duck- 

 lings. A fortnight seems the longest time neces- 

 sary ; and they may sometimes be permitted to en- 

 joy the pond at the end of a week, but not for too 

 great a length at once, least of all, in cold wet wea- 

 ther, which will affect and cause them to scour and 

 appear rough and draggled. In such case, they must 

 be kept within a while, and have an allowance of 

 bean or pea-meal mixed with their ordinary food. 

 The meal of buck wheat and the former is then pro- 

 per. The straw beneath the duck should be often 

 renewed, that the brood may have a dry and com- 

 fortable bed ; and the mother herself be well fed 

 with solid corn, without an ample allowance of which, 

 ducks are not to be reared or kept in perfection, al- 

 though they gather so much abroad. 



DUCK EGGS are often hatched by HENS, when 

 ducks are more in request than chickens; also as 

 ducks, in unfavourable situations, are the more easy 

 to rear, as more hardy ; and the plan has no objec- 

 tion in a confined place, and with a small stock, 

 without the advantage of a pond ; but the hen is 

 much distressed, as is sufficiently visible, and, in 

 fact, injured, by the anxiety she suffers in witnessing 

 the supposed perils of her children venturing upon 

 the water. 



