ARTIFICIAL INCUBATING AND BROODING 



the farm and cured in the shade of the orchard or on the barn 

 floor out of the sun, but open to the fresh air where it will cure 

 perfectly and if stored away in a clean, dry place it will make 

 the best of green food when treated with boiling water and 

 added to the mash. 



There is always a demand for well fattened ducks, and a 

 simple announcement that they can be secured is all the re- 

 quirement necessary in localities where the flavor is known. 



Thus it is seen that the farmer is able to secure the last 

 cent that the profitable business will yield and that for httle cost, 



As before stated, expensive buildings are unnecessary and 

 since additional capital expended means less profit on the in- 

 vestment they are not desirable. A house built with a shed 

 roof, high enough to give head room to the attendant and 

 twelve feet wide exclusive of alley, or fifteen feet if a walk or 

 alley is desired, will accommodate two ducks to each foot of 

 length. It may be framed of two by four inch pieces, these to 

 be covered with barn boards and roofing material. Such a 

 building should be located on a well drained spot, facing south 

 or southeast when convenient, with hberal yard room enclosed 

 by a wire netting fence two feet high. One window in each 

 twelve feet of house length will admit sufficient light to the pens. 



Opinions differ somewhat as to the utility of a walk, some 

 claiming that it is nearly as easy and far better for the care- 

 taker to go from pen to pen over the division boards two feet 

 high because he exercises more care in distributing the food; 

 but in a house fifty feet long or more the argument is in favor 

 of a walk at least three feet wide along which the feeder can 

 pass, feeding the occupants of each pen over the low partition 

 or carrying fresh bedding or removing the old when cleaning 

 the house, without frightening the inmates 



A floor of earth made by filling in to the top of the founda- 

 tion is better than boards or cement, which hold the water 

 spilled by the ducks about the water fountains, making the 

 pen damp and uncomfortable, requiring far more bedding to 

 make it habitable. 



The pens may be twelve feet square, with the yards of cor- 

 responding width. If the partition separating the pens from the 

 walk is made with laths set two and a half inches apart the 

 drinking water may conveniently be given in V-shaped troughs 

 at least half as long as each pen, placed in the walk where the 

 ducks can reach them through the slats. If water is piped to 

 the house, a trough extending the length of the house and con- 

 nected with the piping makes it possible to water the houseful 

 of ducks by simply turning on the water. In a long house this 

 is a great time saver. 



A hopper or box with compartments for shell, charcoal and 

 grit and a trough for food completes the equipment of the 

 stock duck house. 



BROODERS AND BROOD HOUSES 



The cost and construction of the brooding equipment nat- 

 urally depends upon the extent of the operations contemplated. 

 Frequently there are buildings about the farm in which could 

 be placed brooders enough to raise several hundred duckhngs, 

 but we will consider that the importance of this branch of farm 

 industry warrants building those required. 



A brooder house sixty feet long, fifteen wide, arranged with 

 an alley or walk three feet wide next the north wall, having 

 pens twelve by five feet, will enable the builder to properly 

 brood one thousand or more young ducks to sell during the sea- 

 son of good prices. The early ducks are the money makers, and 

 to secure the warmth necessary for the best growth of the lit- 

 tle ones, besides economizing fuel, it is advisable to build this 

 house snug and warm, but with windows and doors sufficient to 

 thoroughly ventilate and cool the house in spring. 



■ If a good house of this kind is built the least expensive and 

 probably most satisfactory method of brooding is with hovers 

 heated by hot water pipes. These hovers should be two feet 



six inches wide and extend through eight of the pens, leaving 

 four pens without hovers in which to temper the ducklings be- 

 fore removing them to other houses or to yards outside. To 

 heat these hovers four one and one-half inch pipes, two flow 

 and two return, are needed, attached to a water jacket stove 

 or small boiler. 



Eight lamp brooders can take the place of these hovers, if 

 it seems desirable, and a hot water pipe system may be in- 

 stalled to warm the house in cold weather or omitted entirely 

 at the builder's option. The combination of lamp brooders and 

 pipe system is a good one especially useful in the early season, 

 while the lamp brooders alone will suffice in warmer weather. 



If operations are fairly extensive and work is begun early 

 in the season it is convenient to have one or two other wind 

 and water tight buildings to which the young ones can be taken 

 when forced out of the brooder house by the new arrivals from 



64— HEALTHY DUCKLINGS TWO WEEKS OLD 



the incubators; but if the weather is warm before the brooder 

 house becomes congested and the occupants are nearly feather- 

 ed no more house room will be needed and yards of good size- 

 enclosed by fencing two feet high, with a provision for shade 

 from the sun, will accommodate the ducks in flocks of fifty to- 

 two hundred. 



I have not made special provision for an incubator room 

 ' because a dry, well ventilated basement or an unoccupied room 

 in a house will answer for the work better than many houses- 

 that have been built for the purpose. 



This is practically all of the equipment needed and it -will 

 last for years, making each year's share of the cost but little. 



What branch of animal industry on the farm will so quick- 

 ly turn so large a profit for the expense incurred? 



SELECTING AND FEEDING THE BREEDERS 



Quality is the point of importance when buying breeding 

 stock, for the influence of the original purchase lasts for years- 

 and determines to some extent the value of each season's pro- 

 duct. Vigor is the primary consideration. The degree of profit 

 depends upon the abihty of the individual specimen to digestr 

 rapidly and well every ounce of food, turning it into flesh with 

 the least waste, which is the work of a healthy, vigorous system. 

 Large birds are desirable, but not monstrosities, and a well- 

 shaped, deep-keeled bird of a little more than medium size is. 

 more satisfactory than a larger one with a coarse, angular frame 

 and consequent slower flesh development. 



Early hatched, fully developed young birds make the best 

 breeders, with well conditioned yearlings a close second. 



86 



