40 NATURE AND ITS 



It also causes bowel disorders. Ducklings cannot stand 

 much cornmeal until they are three weeks old, then feed 

 one-half bran, one-half ground food, oats, etc., feed them a 

 little beef scraps, say ten per cent of the feed and a little 

 green food chopped up. 



When four weeks old feed one-third cornmeal, one-half 

 bran middlings, feed beef scraps three times a day. Don't 

 forget grit in the boxes. 



When six weeks old feed one-half cornmeal, one-fourth 

 bran middlings, green food, beef scraps four times a day. 

 Feed every two hours or five times a day, and when you see 

 they are off their feed, don't feed anything until they get 

 hungry. 



When eight to nine weeks old feed one-fourth bran, 

 three-fourths ground food, of one-half corn and one-half 

 oats ground together and always feed beef scraps and green 

 food. 



At ten weeks old don't feed any green food, or in other 

 words, don't feed any green food ten days before marketing. 

 This green food makes the duck look green in color of skin, 

 and flabby. Grain mash makes them plump and hard in 

 flesh. Beef makes them grow fast. Their meat is fine in 

 grain, white and sweet, when fed on cooked meat. Never 

 feed a duck raw meat nor mix grit in their food, as this is 

 not natural. Any fowl knows when their system wants 

 grit. If you mix grit in their food the gizzard gets full of 

 it and no food can go in the gizzard to digest and finally 

 they die of indigestion. This applies to poultry as well as 

 ducks. 



The last few days, while ducks are ten to eleven weeks 

 old. just before killing, feed them almost all cornmeal, with 

 a little meat and celery cut up fine. This gives them the 

 celery flavor and they sell better for it. 



When young ducklings cross their wings on their backs 

 they are ready for the market. They should then weigh 

 six pounds each if they are the China ducks. If they are the 

 Pekin ducks they should weigh five pounds at ten to eleven 

 weeks old, live weight. 



