POULTRY FOR PROFIT 221 



seventh day and are removed to brooders on the 

 twenty-eighth." 



When duck eggs are hatched under hens they 

 should be moistened occasionally after the first week 

 by sprinkling them with warm water while the hen 

 is off. Some breeders sprinkle them as often as 

 every other day after the first week, some only occa- 

 sionally, and a few not at all. Much depends on the 

 weather, but in this dry climate some moisture is a 

 necessity. Twenty-eight days is the time required 

 for incubation of most duck eggs as well as for those 

 of turkeys and geese. Muscovy duck eggs require 

 five weeks. 



Diseases. 



The pleasantest thing about duck culture is that 

 the duck is not liable to disease as chickens are. To 

 be sure, a duck that is deprived of its natural ration, 

 sand, green stuff and animal food, will sooner or 

 later suffer from indigestion, and perhaps die, but a 

 duck that receives reasonable care is pretty sure to 

 be a well duck. Roup, colds, tuberculosis and all the 

 long list of chicken ills are practically unknown. 

 When a duck is "off feed," in nine cases out of ten 

 the trouble may be traced directly to imprtoper 

 feeding. Bedding and coops and runs should be kept 

 reasonably clean, but the duck is not so easily af- 

 fected by lapses in sanitation as other kinds of 

 poultry and will stand a great deal of abuse. 



In practically all duck disorders it is safe to pre- 

 scribe more green feed, more exercise and less hard 

 grain. All green feed except lettuce should be cut 

 fine. 



Sometimes a too liberal use of beef scrap causes 

 bowel trouble. This should be guarded against by 

 watching and cutting out part of the beef scrap if it 

 seems necessary. 



