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Practical Bird-Keeping.



the whole clutch, when incubation has commenced. This stage

being determined by the presence of down in the nest.


When the young ducks are hatched they should be left

with the foster hen in the nest for some twenty-four hours, when

they should be transferred with her to a coop, which should be

set out on dry ground in a sunny position. The young ducks

should not be allowed access to water for the first day or two,

especially in the case of the smaller Teal, which are apt to get

their down saturated with water, when they readily catch cold

and die. They need very careful watching for the first week or

so of their lives.


Custard or finely-chopped yolk of egg, mixed with ants’

eggs and biscuit meal or stale bread crumbs forms a good food

for the young ducks. Duckweed is also a necessity and should

always be supplied, at first in very shallow dishes, and after¬

wards on a small pond.


Young ducks should not have access to the large duck

pond until they are almost full-grown, but should be reared on

quite small ponds to which no other ducks have access, or they

will take all the food provided for the ducklings. Ducklings

should be pinioned when about a week old, when the operation

is such a slight one that it will cause them no inconvenience.

As they grow older, soaked Canary-seed and finally wheat and

barley should be given. For diving ducklings, such as Pochards

and Tufted Ducks, ground bullock’s heart or liver should be

added to the diet after the first fortnight of their lives.



