38 PROFITABLE POULTRY PRODUCTION 



Onlj' one breed of ducks, the Pekin, is popularly 

 grown for American markets. In England the 

 Aylesbury is more in demand. Duck eggs are in 

 small demand in some markets, and there is also a 

 market for breeding stock, but these demands are 

 insignificant in comparison with those for chickens. 

 If one has suitable environment and good local 

 markets for ducks, it may be worth while to take 

 vip this branch of poultry raising experimentally 

 on a small scale and develop it as experience is 

 gained. The demand for good ducks, when such 

 are produced, is likely to increase in the local 

 markets, and the grower may find it profitable to 

 enlarge even considerably. 



In big duck-growing establishments the cost of 

 raising is estimated at 7 to 10 cents a pound. Here, 

 practically all the feed is purchased, as a rule. The 

 profits range from 10 to 25 cents a duck, depending 

 largely upon the time of year the birds are sold. 

 In order to be profitable, therefore, a farm should 

 produce not less than 10,000 ducks. Such farms 

 can be developed only after several years of con- 

 servative growth, because though the duck is amen- 

 able to machine methods of management, the 

 grower must become acquainted with the business 

 and in a sense grow with it. If this way of de- 

 velopment is followed the margin of profit should 

 increase as the volume increases, because when 

 managed on a small scale the cost is usually greater 

 and the margin of profit smaller. Where chickens 

 and ducks can be grown on the same place upon a 

 less extensive scale, the ducks will generally be 

 found to pay better than the chickens, provided the 

 demands of the local market are not exceeded. This 

 applies especially to private trade. 



