DUCKS AND GEESE 



plant at one time is necessary. This means there 

 would have to be on this plant a heated brooder 

 house capacity for 15,000 ducklings. About half 

 of this number or 7500 would need accommodations 

 in the number 1 or warmest brooder house where 

 the heat can be kept up to 65 or 70 degrees in the 

 house itself, and warmer, of course under the hover. 

 The other 7500 ducklings capacity would be in the 

 number 2 house, that is, a house where heat could 

 be supplied in the early spring and where the tem- 

 perature could be run up to 60 degrees. Hovers in 

 such a house are not really needed but it is common 

 to cover the hot waterpipes with a platform in order 

 to provide a runway on which one can run a wheel 

 barrow and thus simplify feeding. Ordinarily 

 after May 1 no heat is needed in the number 2 

 brooder house. The young ducks are usually 2 to 3 

 weeks old when they go into the number 2 house 

 and they stay there for about 2 weeks depending on 

 the weather. Heat for the brooder houses is sup- 

 plied by means of hot water pipes and a coal burn- 

 ing stove such as are used in brooder houses for 

 chickens. A number 3 or cold brooder house is also 

 needed where ducklings can be housed and can be 

 driven in at night and in cold weather after they 

 have graduated from the number 2 house. From 

 the number 3 house a part of the ducklings are 

 taken directly to the yards where they are housed 

 in open front sheds. 

 Fattening Houses or Sheds. In addition to the 



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