64 YOUNG DUCKS ON REARING FIELD 



The young ducks are very fond of flies, grasshoppers, 

 and other insects, and the more of this food they can 

 obtain the better. Captain Oates says his young ducks 

 ate bees alive without ill effects. 



When the ducks are two or three weeks old they may 

 have some wheat or cracked corn, which should be 

 served wet or placed in the water. Barley and corn may 

 be added to their bill of fare a few weeks later. When 

 eight or nine weeks old (the time depending on the 

 weather) the ducks are taken to the water, and then 

 they can be fed on grain only. Cracked corn is, prob- 

 ably, the best food. They will procure a variety of green 

 foods, insects and much other food of various kinds 

 about the pond or lake. 



In places where wild rice, acorns and the other natu- 

 ral foods are plentiful the ducks will require very little 

 feeding. One meal of grain a day should be sufficient to 

 hold them^ 



