ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



UUCKS IX DUCKS' AVIARV. 



THE KEEPING OF DUCKS FOR PLEASURE 



BY C. WILLIAM BEEBE, 



CURATOR OF BIRDS 



THOUSANDS of people admire the deli- 

 cate colors and clean-cut outlines of the 

 ducks, in their Aviary and on the various 

 ponds in the Zoological Park. Few, probably, 

 stop to think how easy it would be to keep a 

 pair, or a small flock, of such birds in a moder- 

 ate-sized yard. The outlay of labor and money 

 necessary for such an undertaking would be 

 nominal, and the return in daily enjoyment 

 would constitute a many-fold profit. Doubt- 

 less, many persons would take an interest in 

 the keeping of ducks of various kinds purely 

 for the pleasure of watching and rearing 

 them, if they but knew how easy it is, how 

 small a space is adequate, and how hardy 

 are some of the species. 



Let us assume a rather limited space and 

 meagre water supply; for it is very easy to 

 elaborate the directions dealing with such 

 conditions, and adapt them to a larger scale. 



Three questions, sine qua non, must first be 

 answered. What accommodations do ducks 



require? What care shall be given them? 

 What species recommend themselves to the 

 aviary of a private person? 



A few bags of cement and sand will make 

 a small pond which will give satisfaction to 

 any variety of duck, the principal require- 

 ment being that it should have a maximum 

 depth of at least eighteen inches. One end 

 should slope gradually into the water, so that 

 the ducks will have no trouble getting in and 

 out. Any person so fortunate as to have a 

 small stream flowing near, can easily make a 

 satisfactory pond. 



The space immediately around the pool 

 should be pebbled, or covered with fine 

 gravel. If kept in a small space, ducks will 

 destroy the grass with the constant patter of 

 their webbed feet, and it is necessary to sub- 

 stitute sand or gravel for bare earth, or else 

 protect the grass with wire during the spring 

 months. In an enclosure of liberal size, this 

 of course is not necessary. 



