DUCK CULTURE 



Believing this book may fall in the hands of many 

 who raise a few ducks, and possibly in the hands of 

 some who may raise thousands annually, and as I have 

 raised from five to ten thousand yearly for many years 

 very successfully, until I now am able to raise nearly 

 every duck hatched that has strength enough to eat and 

 drink, I will take up the care of the breeding stock, as 

 the foundation of success all lies with the breeders. 

 First you must select your breeders, and in every case 

 they must be young ducks. 



Never keep an old ducks over the second year, for 

 they will not lay before February, as a rule, while young 

 ducks start in 'December, if properly fed and housed. 

 I prefer breeders hatched in April to any other month, 

 as they get fully matured early in the fall and are 

 hatched from our strongest eggs. 



All breeders should be hatched from April 15 to May 

 15, and such ducks should begin to lay in December. 



Your breeding ducks can be kept very light during 

 September and October. Do not let them get too poor, 

 for if you do you may lose some. 



If you are on a farm you can give them range and but 

 little feed. A mash of wheat bran and gluten meal, 

 equal parts, makes a very cheap feed to summer 

 them on. 



About November i you must begin to feed them up 

 and house them, if 3'ou wish to get early eggs. This is 

 where the profit comes in. Give a mash, morning and 

 night, from November i on, as follows ; One part bran, 

 one part middlings, one part corn-meal, one part clover, 

 5 per cent, beef scraps, 2 per cent, grit and oyster shells. 

 Give all they will eat of this, night and morning, and 

 keep water by them if they have not a pond. Also give 

 them water in their houses at night. A butter tub, sawed 

 down, makes a handy thing. 

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