432 POULTRY PRODUCTION 



Incubation of Duck Eggs. — The desire to inculiate their own 

 eggs has been bred out of many strains of ducks, especially 

 the Pekin. For this reason the incubator or broodj' hens are 

 necessary. The eggs should be gathered daily, kept in a 

 cool place, and turned daily. Ducks' eggs will not keep as 

 well as hens' eggs. 



In natural incubation the eggs are placed under a broody 

 duck in a nest on the ground or floor of the house. If placed 

 under hens, ten are about all that may be successfully 

 covered. 



When placed in incubators the care given duck eggs is 

 similar to that given hens' eggs except that the temperature 

 should be kept at 102° F. for the first three weeks. Special 

 duck incubators are manufactured, which ha\'e a larger egg 

 chauiljer than do those used primarily for hens' eggs. More 

 moisture is also required in the hatching of ducklings than 

 of chicks. Ducks' eggs should l)e tested for fertility on the 

 third or fourth day when developing embryo may l)e readily 

 seen. 



Brooding Ducks. — Ducklings take even more kindly to 

 artificial brooding than chicks do. They are handled in the 

 same manner as chicks except that the temperature wliich 

 should be 95° F. at the beginning will usually be reduced to 

 between 80° and 85° within a week or ten days. 



Housing and Yarding Ducks. — The chief factors in a house 

 for ducks are drj'ness, fresh air with freedom from draughts, 

 and cleanliness. It is not necessary to build as expensive 

 houses as for fowls, because ducks are naturally hardier an<l 

 can stand the cold and lack of sunshine better. The floor of 

 a duck-house, wdiich may be any tight shed or outhouse if 

 but few are kept, should be kept well bedded with straw and 

 cleaned out as soon as the straw becomes matted and damp. 

 Dry feet while in the house at night seems to be a necessity 

 for good egg production. The ducks will make their nests 

 on the floor of the house by burrowing in the straw. The 

 number of ducks per house should be about one for every 

 six square feet of floor space for breeders; fattening and 

 young ducks may be kept closer. 



An eighteen-inch two-inch mesh fence will hold most ducks, 



