DUCKS AND GEESE 



the Black East India duck and the Crested White 

 duck. Both the Call and East India ducks are small 

 in size being really the bantams of the duck family. 

 While they make good table birds, their small size 

 handicaps them as commercial meat fowl. The 

 Crested White duck is of larger size, possesses a 

 crest and is bred mainly as an ornamental fowl. 



Marking the Ducks. The duck raiser who is 

 breeding his ducks for exhibition quality has need 

 for knowledge of the breeding of the birds he may 

 contemplate using in his matings. In order that this 

 information may be available, the young ducks as 

 they are hatched can be marked by toe punching 

 them on the webs of their feet in the same manner 

 that baby chicks are toe punched. A different set 

 or combination of marks is used for each mating so 

 that the breeding of the different ducks can be dis- 

 tinguished. Mature ducks can, if desired, be leg 

 banded in order to furnish a distinguishing mark. 



Nomenclature 



Before taking up a description of the matings of 

 the different standard breeds and varieties it is well 

 to indicate the common nomenclature which is used 

 in connection with these fowls and which differs 

 from that used for chickens. The male duck is 

 called drake, the female duck is termed duck, and 

 the young duck of either sex is termed duckling. In 

 giving the standard weights for the different breeds 



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