DUCKS AND GEESE 



■while the old ducks after a period of laying, lose a 

 considerable amount of the yellow from these sec- 

 tions. In addition, soon after the ducks begin to lay, 

 their bills as a rule will begin to be streaked with 

 black. Young ducks can also be told from the old 

 ducks by feeling of the end of the breast bone which 

 runs to a point at the abdomen. In the older ducks 

 this is hard while in the young ducks it is gristly and 

 bends easily. The windpipe of an old duck is hard 

 and rather difficult to compress or dent while in the 

 young duck it is softer and easily dented. 



Selection of Breeding Ducks. The breeders are 

 usually selected from the ducklings which reach 

 market age from the last week in June through July. 

 As these lots become ready for market and are 

 driven into the pens to be slaughtered each duck is 

 handled and any especially good birds which the 

 proprietor thinks will make good breeders are 

 thrown out at this time. 



In making selection of breeders those are chosen 

 which are healthy and thrifty and which have good 

 wide, long and deep bodies. Ducks with crooked 

 wings, crooked tails, hump backs or paddle legs are 

 rejected for this purpose. After the young ducks 

 for breeders are selected they are put in a yard or 

 fattening pen until the number which the owner ex- 

 pects to keep is complete. These young breeders 

 generally begin to moult soon after they are selected 

 and from this time on they are fed whole corn and 

 plenty of green feed until it is time to begin feeding 



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