FATTENING DUCKS. 118 



put upon rice, which is properly boiled, and for this 

 purpose Burmah rice is preferred, as it has more 

 feeding in it. Next they are given rice and toppings, 

 which is the local name for fine sharps or middlings. 

 During the later stages of the process they are fed 

 upon barley-meal and toppings, and finally upon 

 barley-meal and fine greaves, or tallow scrap cake, or 

 boiled rice mixed with greaves, though on one farm 

 horseflesh and mutton are used for the same purpose. 

 It is customary to give boiled nettles mixed with the 

 food at various stages of their growth, this having 

 been found most helpful in keeping the blood cool. 



As might be expected under such wholesale condi- 

 tions, deaths are by no means infrequent, and there is 

 in this respect a good deal of difference in accordance 

 with the seasons, but we are informed by one who 

 breeds very largely, that upon the average he was 

 enabled to market 85 per cent, of the ducklings 

 hatched, which seems to be an excellent proportion. 

 One of the greatest troubles met with is what is known 

 as " soft bill." Where this is present the young 

 ducklings are unable to break their way out of the 

 shell, or even if they succeed in doing this, they die 

 at an early age. High feeding may cause this trouble 

 after the birds are hatched, but we think the chief 

 cause is in-and-in breeding, and the use of immature 

 stock. Strange though it may seem, even in the duck- 

 breeding districts, attention is not paid as it ought to 

 be to the use of well-grown breeding stock, and to 

 the systematic introduction of fresh blood. Several 

 obvious laws in breeding are neglected by those whose 

 interest it must be to keep them prominently in mind. 



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