COMMERCIAL DUCK FARMING 



which empty into the various bays. Locations along 

 these streams are not easy to secure at the present 

 time owing to the fact that duck farms are not al- 

 lowed in many sections where summer homes have 

 been built. A water site of this sort is very valuable, 

 although not absolutely essential, since it provides 

 water yards for the breeding ducks and for the fat- 

 tening ducklings if desired, and reduces the labor 

 and cost of equipment materially since the ducks 

 always have access to water and no additional pro- 

 vision need be made to provide them with drinking 

 water. It also enables the ducks to keep their plum- 

 age clean. Usually these locations are on fresh 

 water streams but some of them are further out to- 

 ward the bay where the water is salty or at least 

 brackish. 



The mature ducks thrive well on the salt water 

 and do not have to be furnished with fresh drinking 

 water in addition. For the young ducks, however, 

 with a salt water location it is necessary to provide 

 fresh drinking water. A few farms in other sections 

 of the country are what are known as dry land 

 farms, that is to say, they are not situated on the 

 bank of a stream. In such locations running water 

 is carried through the yards so that the ducks have 

 an ample supply of drinking water and in some 

 cases artificial ponds are constructed to provide 

 water in which the breeding ducks can swim. Form- 

 erly the idea was universally held that swimming 

 water was essential for the breeders in order to se- 



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