SUCCESS WITH POULTBl 



85 



PROPER CARE OP BREEDING STOCK. 



The birds selected for breeding should be' turned out to 

 pasture or in large grassy^ lots, if possible, and fed on adul- 

 terated food. By this I mean bran, Quaker oat feed, with a 

 little meal and grit. About November 1, these birds should 

 be yarded for winter work. The yards should have been 

 previously prepared for their reoeption. About August first, 

 after the old birds are through laying and beginning to molt, 

 they should be taken out of the yards and turned out to 

 pasture. The yards are turned and sowed to barley, which 

 crop serves a double purpose — ^that of disinfecting the ground 

 and giving a heavy ctop of green food for the birds. This 

 green food is cut fine and mixed in their daily rations. When 

 the time comes to yard the birds, this crop has all been cut 

 and the yards are in fine condition for them. These yards 

 are bne hundred feet long and the same width as the pens 

 in the building. Whenever we have room, the yards are run 

 out fan-shaped, which of course makes them larger. Our 

 green food now consists of green rye, obtained in the Vay 

 described. As fast as our yards are emptied of dxjcklings, 

 they are turned and sowed quickly to rye as this is a cTop 

 which resists winter's frosts. We now have about two 'acres 

 of this rye, a perfect mass of green, about eighteen inches 

 high. This largely constitutes our green food for winter. 

 Just before a snow storm we cut large quantities of it and 

 pile in up in a frozen state in some shady place, where it 

 can be drawn upon at will. , 



Should this supply be exhausted while the ground is 

 covered with snow, we always have several tons of fine 

 clover rowen, cured for the purpose. This, with a few hun- 

 dred heads of refuse cabbage, carries us through in good 

 shape. I dwell particularly. on this green food, because it is 

 one of the necessities for the production of strong, highly 

 fertilized eggs. Every one knows how necessary green food 

 is for hens during winter confinement, yet it is even mora 

 essential for ducks. I now mix 15 per cent of this green rye, 

 cut fine, tnth other food. 



IT DOES NOT PAY TO CROSS PEKINS. 



I am often asked if crossing -the Pekin with other birds 

 will not produce a better market bird than the thorough- 

 breds. In reply, will say, that I have crossed the Pekin it 

 every conceivable way with other breeds, with an eye to se- 

 curing a better market birds, but with unsatisfactory results. 

 The birds either came out with weakened constitutions, were 

 longer maturing and had dark pin feathers or unsightly 

 blotches on the skin. This experience has more than ever 

 convinced me that there is nothing, as yet, in the shape of 

 a duck that will supercede the Pekin as a market bird. There 

 is no bird that is under better control or that will respond 

 sooner to generous. food and care than the Pekin duck. Her 

 fecundity is wonderful. Not even the far-famed Minorca or 

 Leghorn can compete with her as an egg producer, Begin- 

 ning, if you wish, at four and one-half months old, she will 

 contribute her quota of one egg per day, with but little inter- 

 mission, for nearly ten months, and as egg-producers for 

 market alone she is more profitable than the hen. There is. 

 not a day in the year that we are without duck eggs. When 

 the old birds begin to molt and are barren, the younger ones 

 commence their work. I will now give my methods and 

 formulas for feeding the young birds (at different stages of 

 growth) for eggs, also for breeding birds. 



FORMULAS FOR FEEDING DUCKS. 



For Breeding Birds (Old and Young During the Pall.) — 

 Peed three parts wheat bran, one quart Quaker oat food, or 

 oatmeal, ground oats (or other substitute), one part corn-' 



meal, five per cent of beef scraps, five per eent of grit, and 

 all the green food they will eat, in the shape of corn fodder 

 (cut fine), clover, or osCt fodder. Peed this mixture twice a 

 day, all they will eat. 



For Laying Birds. — Equal parts of wheat bran and corn- 

 meal, twenty per cent of Quaker oat food, ben per cent of 

 boiled turnips or potatoes, fifteen per cent of clover roweii, 

 green rye or refuse cabbage, chopped fine, five per cent of 

 grit.' Peed twice a day all they will eat, with a bunch of 

 corn and oats at noon. Keep grit and oyster shells con- 

 stantly by them. 



For Feeding at Different Stages of Growth.— The first 

 four days feed equal "parts of rolled oats and cracker or 

 bread crumbs, ten per cent of hard boiled eggs, chopped fine, 

 five per cent coarse sand. Peed four times a day, what they 

 will eat up clean. Brooder heat, ninety degrees. 



When four days to three weeks old, feed equal 

 parts of rolled oats and wheat bran, ten per cent corn meal, 

 five per cent coarse sand, five per cent of fine ground beef 

 cornmeal, wheat bran and Quaker Oat food five per cent of 

 scraps soaked, finely cut clover hay, rye or cabbage. Feed 

 four times a day. Brooder heat from eighty-five to seventy- 

 five degrees. When from three to six weeks old, feed equal 

 parts of fine grit, five per cent of beef scraps. Mix in green 

 food. Feed four times a day. 



When from six to eight weeks old, feed three parts corn 

 meal, two parts wheat bran, one part Quaker oat food, ten 

 per cent of beef scraps, five per cent of grit. Feed three 

 times a day. 



When from eight to ten weeks old, feed two-thirds corn- 

 meal, one-third equal parts of wheat bran and oat food, ten 

 per cent of beef scraps, five per cent of grit, oyster shells 

 and less green food. Peed three times a day. They should 

 now be ready for market. 



We never cook the food for our ducks after they are a 

 week old, but mix it with cold water. 



I wish to emphasize several points again. Do not for- 

 get the grit; it is absolutely essential. Never feed mora 

 than a little bird will eat clean. Keep them a little hungry. 

 See that pens and yards are sweet and clean, for though 

 ducklings may stand more neglect than chicks, remember 

 that- they -will not thrive in filth. If anyone -fails in this 

 business, it must be through his own incompetency and neg- 

 lect. 



^ With us, it ia the surest crop we can grow. Independent 

 of the elements, affected neither by fioods nor drouths, heat 

 nor cold, a concentrated cash product turned every three 

 mouths, it makes the best returns of any crop on the farm. 

 JAMES RANKIN, Massachusetts. 



CARING FOR DUCKLINGS. 



BY GEORGE H. POLLARD. 



In response to your request that we give you a few ideas 

 concerning our methods of feeding, and raising Pekin ducks, 

 we feel it is right we should first explain that we do not 

 raise so many,' many thousands yearly; that there are others 

 who raise aS good, and if we should stop they would doubt- 

 legs continue to successfully raise them. We find in raising 

 ducks there are five esentials — muscle, water, food, shade 

 and grit — and the greatest of these is muscle. Any one who 

 has tried it will cheerfully testify to this truth. In feeding 

 and raising young ducks, begin with the breeding- stock. 

 Strong,, vigorous breeders mean healthy, wide-a-wake duck- 

 lings, needing a minimum of attention and easily raised. 



