SUCCESS WITH POULTRY 



101 



shelves in a dry place, but not in a draft where they will 

 become "wind dried." They should not be packed until 

 the animal heat has had time to escape. Care should be 

 taken not to allow them to freeze before being packed, and 

 it is much better' to reach market free from frost. Th.e 

 head and feet should be left on; and should be well cleaned, 

 but the intestines should not be removed. 



Packing. — Barrels should be used for packing all kinds 

 •oi' poultry. Pack as compactly as possible, always lining 

 the barrel with clean paper, and see that the package is so 

 well filled that when the cover is on the contents will not 

 be shuffled about in handling. Never use straw in packing 

 poultry, for, besides creasing their bodies, there is always 

 more or less chaff, which detracts from the appearance of 

 the fowls. 



COMMERCIAL DUCK RAISING— POINTS ON BREEDING, HATCHING, 



FEEDING AND MARKETING. 



IN our talk rbout market ducks, as is natural, we begin 

 with the bri'.eding stock, which, at the start, brings us 

 face to face with the question as to what species of 

 duck it pays best to keep. Though several varieties 

 have been given a fair trial, the popular vote today is un- 

 questionably for the Pekin, as it combines more favorable 

 points than any other variety, being very heavy, a rapid 

 grower, prolific in egg yield, besides being a, very handsome 

 , snow-wwhite bird with yellow feet and bill and a proud 

 carriage. 



How to Distinguish the Sex. 

 The females may be distinguished by their loud "quack- 

 quack," while the male never speaks above a whisper, and 

 then in a sort of sissing whistle. Another distinct feature 

 about the drake is the two crisp little feathers that curl up 

 on his tail. 



Pour ,at the most five, ducks go with every drake, and 

 too much care cannot be given that the birds are thoroughly 

 healthy and that no sickness has come near them, and that 

 they have not been unduly forced for size or fattened to the 

 injury of their digestive organs, and that they are given 

 every possible aid towards developing into thoroughly vig- 

 orous stock. Plenty -exercise, fresh air and enough right 

 foodto keep them in good condition (not fat) are absolutely 

 necessary to attain the end in view. 



Good Vigor of Breeding Stock Necessary. 



It is a very decided mistake to think that because a 

 pair of birds weigh a lot they will consequently and of 

 necessity be better ' producers and their progeny weigh 

 heavier. 



It is the thorough-bred qualities and the stamnia of the 

 parent that counts in the day of reckoning. The growing 

 demand for heavy-weight ducks is one reason why so many • 

 ducks die in the shell and when young. If the eggs come 

 from vigorous, healthy stock that has been fed correctly for 

 egg production the ducklings can very nearly all be hatched 

 and raised and made to weigh at eight to ten weeks old 

 between five and one-half to seven pounds. 



This season just past w^e raised a flock of one thousand 

 with a loss of but seven birds. We got them, the market 

 birds, up to five and one-half to seven pounds at eight 

 and nine weeks old. Their parents, on an average, 

 weighed between four and one-half and five and one- 

 half pounds. We have also hatched from heavy weight tirds 

 and could not get them- to dress at three months old over 

 four pounds and lost a large percentage of half -grown birds. 

 They did not have the vigor to stand the heavy forcing diet. 



A large frame and fair covering of flesh is all right, 

 providing the vigor goes with it, and the health; but if one 

 has to be sacrificed, better let size go, for you can breed up 

 to that; but it is hard to fight and win with enervated stock. 



for the strain on the digestive organs is very severe when 

 they are forced for market production. 



At between eight and ten weeks old we can get, as be- 

 fore said, a very good weight on our birds. ' 



Those reserved for breeders should be separated from 

 the market stock as soon as their voices allow the sex to be 

 distinguished, which, on a, rapid growth diet, will be at six 

 or seven weeks of age. These birds require a food and care 

 that best develops bone, muscle and vigor. 



Handling Eggs for Hatching. 



Eegarding the care of eggs for hatching; they chill at 

 about 38 degrees, it is therefore necessary if eggs are requir- 

 ed during very early spring, to have a warm, dry corner 

 and bedding provided for the laying ducks, where they can 

 be secured until 'the eggs are promptly gathered in the early 

 morning. These are to be kept in a shaded place of even 

 temperature of say 50 degrees and turned, daily. Eough- 

 shelled eggs or mis-shapen ones will not hat(fli. 



Duck eggs seem to require more moisture during incu- 

 bation than do hens' eggs during testing, as the embryo duck 

 is liable to be killed and great care should be taken only 

 to subject the egg to the heal; and light suijieiently long 

 to tell its condition. 



The birds should be kept in the incubator until thorough- 

 ly dry and the temperature gradually lowered to 90 degrees. 

 A basket, linci with an old (warmed) quilt, is a good re- 

 ceptacle in which to convey them to the brooder. This has, 

 of course, been thoroughly warmed and aired and the heat 

 held steady at 90 degrees, which is right for the first week. 

 Every week thereafter it may be lowered about 8 degrees. 

 The outside (or yard) temperature should be 10 or 15 de- 

 grees cooler and when the babies are three to four weeks old 

 the outside heat is right at about 65 degrees and they do 

 not require artificial heat in the brooder. 



They need good, sweet air and their houses to bS kept 

 clean and dry (chaff or straw makes a good bedding.) This 

 is very important. 



The drinking water should be tepid. Soft is healthier 

 for them than hard water. 



Feeding the Young Birds. 



For the first two days, bread softened with milk and 

 fed four times daily. For the first three or four days this 

 season past we have, with good results, left a little food be- 

 fore them all the time, but after that we gave only what 

 they ate up clean. 



The in-door yards of our brooder Jiouse are eleven by 

 five feet. We run about forty ducklings in each. The out- 

 side yards are twenty feet long. The netting is eighteen 

 fnches high and is one inch mesh. When the ducklings, are 

 four to six weesks old they are removed to larger pens and 

 the flock divided into two, about twenty birds in each. 



