32 PARADISE VALLEY POULTRY RANCH 



eggs are infertile, to feed more whole or cracked grains and less mash to 

 ducks during the breeding season. 



PREPARING DUCKS FOR MARKET 



Ducks may be dressed by dry picking, by scalding, or by steaming. 

 The ducks are generally killed by sticking in the mouth or thru the throat 

 with a knife which has a narrow blade about four inches long, and then 

 stunned by a blow on the back of the head with a short club; the knife 

 may be inserted just back of the eye. Long pinfeathers usually are re- 

 moved with a dull knife, and the down sometimes is rubbed off with the 

 moistened hand, burned with alcohol, or shaved with a very sharp knife. 



Ducks may be steamed and picked, thus saving the feathers without 

 artificial drying; and as duck feathers are of considerable value, their sale 

 is quite an important item. The wing and tail feathers are pulled before 

 steaming the ducks. Six or eight ducks, which have been stuck and hung 

 up to bleed, are placed on hooks in the top of a steam box or barrel which 

 can be made air-tight and steamed until the soft feathers on the breast 

 come off easily. They should be left in the box from one-half to two 

 minutes. A good method for removing the down is to sprinkle powdered 

 rosin over the duck's body and dip the bird into hot water, which melts 

 the rosin so that the down and rosin can be rubbed off easily with the hand. 



