WATERFOWL 24I 



harm in letting the birds out on pleasant days during 

 the winter; snow is no objection, provided the 

 weather is not too cold. They enjoy it hugely, espe- 

 cially during a thaw. The pens inside should be kept 

 dry and free from odors. This is absolutely essential, 

 for though ducks are not as subject to disease as hens, 

 they will not thrive in filth. Too often the health of 

 the young bird is injured by the improper feeding of 

 the mother bird during the laying season. This food 

 should consist of the proper ingredients, in quantity 

 just what the bird will eat clean, and no more. Grit 

 is absolutely necessary, and is one of the essentials. 

 We not only keep it, together with cracked oyster 

 shells, in boxes constantly by them, but mix it in their 

 food. They must have something during their con- 

 finement during inclement weather to enable them to 

 assimilate their food. One ingredient which we con- 

 sider of the greatest importance is green food, which 

 should compose nearly one-fourth of the whole. We 

 use green rye which is cut three-eighths of an inch 

 long, and mixed with the food. When there is prospect 

 of snow we cut large quantities of this in a frozen 

 state and pile it up on the north side of a building. 

 It will not heat in this condition. Should this be 

 used up, and the ground still be covered with snow, 

 we have several tons of fine clover rowen stored for 

 the purpose, which we consider next in value to the 

 rye, so that we are never otit of that material for 

 feeding. We also grow about looo bushels of turnips, 

 which we steam until they are soft, and mix them in 

 the food. This the birds >relish highly. My formula 

 for feeding breeding and laying birds, when fertile 

 eggs are desired, is as follows: For breeding birds 

 (old and young, during the fall), feed three parts of 

 wheat bran, one part of Quaker oat feed, one part 

 corn meal, five per cent of beef scrap, five per cent of 



