A GUIDE FOR KEEPERS OF POULTRY 113 
care of more ducks than this, but this is at the expense 
of egg fertility. It is not necessary to divide the flock 
into pens of one drake and his mates, as they can be kept 
in larger flocks, maintaining the proper proportions of the 
sexes. In selecting ducks for mating, choose strong, vig- 
orous birds of large size but perfect proportions. An 
overgrown duck or drake usually lacks in typical shape 
and these are likely to transmit their defects. 
With the colored varieties the difference in the plumage 
at once marks the difference in the sexes, but with the 
white breeds the sexes are of the same color. The drake 
has two feathers of the tail curled over into a short curl, 
but these are frequently missing, especially in the show- 
room, where a large male is sometimes offered as a fe- 
male, the curled feathers being plucked out. The deceit 
will be at once discovered if the ducks are made to make 
a noise. The femiale is the only one of a pair that 
“quacks.” The voice of the male is thin and not at all 
loud, being more of a chuckle than a distinct call, as is 
the case with the female. 
When well-cared-for ducks begin to lay in the spring 
they lay very regularly, usually every day for a consider- 
able period. Early-hatched ducks begin to lay in the fall 
sometimes and lay a few eggs, then stopping until the 
early months of the year. Early-hatched Indian Runner 
ducks often begin laying in the fall and continue to lay 
during the winter and on into the next summer, fre- 
quently laying 200 eggs each in a year. Indian Runner 
ducks often continue to lay well for three years. 
Where only a small number of ducks are raised it is 
best to use hens rather than ducks for hatching, as ducks 
are not very good mothers in domestication. Duck eggs 
hatch in 28 days, but the eggs frequently pip in 26 days. 
