CHAPTER XXXVI 



DUCK CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA 



The past two years I have received so many inquiries about duck 

 raising that this part of the poultrjr industry demands attention. 

 Ducks are the one thing that can be raised to advantage on town 

 lots, or on very small holdings. It does not require either a great 

 amount of money or room and that is why it can be done successfully 

 by women. It is not really necessary that breeders be kept, for 

 nearly all varieties of ducklings can be bought from hatcheries. For 

 those who can find room for a few breeders, there is more profit to 

 be made because the eggs will be at hand and they can set at any 

 time they are ready, and this is not always the case where ducklings 

 must be bought. 



I will, therefore, take up the care of the breeding stock first, as 

 the foundation of all success lies with the breeders. If you have a 

 flock of young ducks on hand, select your breeders from them, taking 

 those with the best developed bodies and earliest signs of maturity. 

 Those hatched in April are the best for breeders. Now allow one 

 drake to four ducks, and if you are on a farm or anywhere that has 

 range, turn your ducks out on range, those intended for breeders. 



Young ducks will commence to lay early in December in this 

 climate, but old ducks very rarely commence until February. Breed- 

 ing ducks can be fed very lightly if turned out, a little mash morning 

 and night, made from wheat bran and middlings, is enough. 



Along in October it will be time to house them, and begin to feed 

 better, if you want early eggs, and as this is where the profit comes 

 in, I expect you will want to have it. After October first give a mash 

 morning and night as follows: One part bran, one part middlings, one 

 part cornmeal, one part alfalfa meal, five per cent beef scraps and two 

 per cent grit and oyster shell. Give them all they will eat of this 

 morning and night, and all the green feed they will eat at noon. 

 Keep water in the yard or house, if you have nothing better, a candy 

 pail set in a hole in the ground does very well, but they must have 

 water, to bathe in to insure strong fertile eggs. 



About November first, increase the quantity of beef scrap to ten 

 per cent. Lift the ducks up by the neck to see how thin they are, as 

 you must not let them get too fat. If they keep too thin, increase 

 the amount of cornmeal and add a little whole grain, such as wheat 

 and cracked corn, to the rations. When they commence to lay, they 



