222 POULTRY FOR PROFIT 



Salt is quite poisonous to ducks and should never 

 be put in their feed or left where they can reach it. 

 Severe cases of poisoning among ducks have been 

 caused by their getting at pickle brine or salt from 

 ice cream freezers which had been carelessly thrown 

 out. 



Leg weakness is sometimes caused in young ducks 

 which are being forced for market by heavy feeding 

 and too close confinement. It is better that all duck- 

 lings should have some range. When they cannot 

 be given range regularly, let them out often enough 

 to keep their leg muscles strong or give them a pen 

 in which there is room to run. Exercise is abso- 

 lutely necessary for breeders. Dampness in the 

 sleeping quarters is also a cause of stiffness and 

 weakness in the legs. 



Shade is even more necessary to ducks and duck- 

 lings than to hens and chicks. Instances are on rec- 

 ord where ducks have died of sunstroke when they 

 were carelessly left without shade in hot weather. 

 A burlap sack spread over their coop is sufficient, 

 but some protection from the sun they must have. 



GEESE 



There are seven standard varieties of geese : Gray 

 Toulouse, White Embden, Gray African, Brown 

 Chinese, White Chinese, Gray Wild and Colored 

 Egyptian. 



Geese are not extensively raised in California, 

 probably because there is too little damp ground and 

 natural pasture to make them profitable. On farms 

 in the river bottoms they might well be raised to a 

 greater extent than they are, for they will forage 

 for most of their living where they have a chance 

 and are very easily raised. 



Geese are long-lived birds, some having been 



