SO DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE GEORGIA. 



Mr. Fowler, good authority oft such subjects, says of the Ayles- 

 bury : 



"My idea of a perfect Aylesbury drake and duck is, that in plu- 

 mage they should be of the finest snow white all over. The head 

 should be full, and the bill well set on to the skull, so that the beak 

 should seem to be almost in a line from the top of the head to the 

 tip. The bill should belong, and when viewed from the front appear 

 much like a woodcock's ; it should be, in prize birds, of a delicate 

 flesh color, without spot or blemish, and with a slight fleshy excres- 

 cence where the feathers commence. If it occasionally has a very 

 slight creamy tint it would not disqualify, but any approach to dark 

 buff or yellow is fatal to the pen ; eye full, bright and quite black. 

 The legs should be strong, with the claws well webbed, and in color 

 of a rich dark yellow or orange. Body rather long, but broad across 

 the shoulders, and the neck rather long and slender. The drake 

 should have one and sometimes has two sharp curls in his tail. The 

 weight of each bird in a show-pen ought to be about nine pounds, 

 but this is not very often attained." 



These ducks commence to lay 'in winter and if not allowed 

 to sit themselves they will lay a large number of good sized 

 eggs during the season. A large number of the ducklings may be 

 put with a single hen in a close warm pen where they are fed lib- 

 erally upon meal mixed with boiled meat chopped fine. They will 

 grow very rapidly under this treatment and when two months old 

 be ready for market. They should be kept supplied with fresh, clear 

 water in a shallow pan, but not allowed to go to branches or ponds 

 until four to six weeks old, lest they be destroyed by turtles or be- 

 come chilled and .die from cramp. 



THE ROUEN DUCKS 



are tre'ated as the Aylesbury but do not commence to lay so early in 

 the season. They usually commence in February or March and, if 

 not allowed to sit, will lay a large number of eggs. In . color they 

 should be exactly like the wild Mallard from which they seem to 

 have originated. The Rouen is more hardy than the Aylesbury or 

 the Pekin but not so large as either, though equal to them in table 

 qualities. 



