42 



NATURE AND IT 



bill and neck and then dip in hot water just a second, and 

 then in ice cold water and keep there until all the animal 

 heat is out of them, say for two hours. Dipping- them in the 

 hot and cold water makes them plump and round looking" 

 and they will sell much better. Never dip heads in hoi 

 water, as it makes the eyes look bad, as if the duck had 

 died from some disease. Then pack them on a shelf or in 

 an ice box. 



Ship ducks at night or early in the morning- before the 

 sun is out, and then the ice will not melt so fast. Wrap the 

 ducks in paper with ice between them and pack in boxes or 

 barrels. 



At What Age to Market Ducks. 



Some market ducks at eig-ht weeks of age, some at six 

 weeks, but the largest profit is when the ducks are from ten 

 to eleven weeks old. If you get only twelve cents a pound 

 for ducks in late spring it pays, and if they weigh six pounds 

 each at twelve cents a pound you get seventy-two cents for 

 each duck, and it only costs about thirty cents to feed them 

 until eleven weeks old. 



Diseases and How to Prevent Them. 



If your ducklings are lame you are feeding too much 

 grain, or are feeding too much fattening food. Always feed 

 a little bran, this keeps the bowels loose. Cornmeal is dan- 

 gerous to newly hatched ducks. If your ducklings have 

 cramps, the cause is cold drinking water, or you are housing 

 them too close in a brooder. They don't need much heat to 

 keep warm when four weeks old. When you lock them up 

 for the night give them all the air you can or they will 

 sweat and steam and you are liable to overheat them. This 

 causes cramps when they are sweaty and go out in the cold 

 morning air. Always give them warm water to drink until 

 they are at least ten days old and warm food, not hot, but 



