DUCKS AND GEESE 



it is an indication that they are not getting enough 

 ventilation and this should be supplied by fastening 

 the machine door open a little way. If the ducks 

 are not ready to be taken out of the machines by 

 noon or soon after, it is best to leave them until the 

 next morning before removing them to the brooder 

 house. In the meantime, however, the old eggs and 

 shells and other refuse should be taken out. Usually 

 the hatch is completed in time so that the ducklings 

 can be removed to the brooder house on the after- 

 noon of the 28th day. As a rule the earlier the hatch 

 is completed the better are the ducklings. 



Figures secured on results in hatching for the en- 

 tire season on Long Island duck farms indicate that 

 as a whole the duck raisers will not average much 

 over 40% hatch of all eggs set. Some hatches may 

 run as high as 60% or even more and in some sea- 

 sons the average percentage will run higher than 

 40. Some especially skilled operators may also se- 

 cure considerably better average results than this. 

 It is quite a common practice on the part of duck 

 farmers to pay their incubator man a bonus on all 

 ducklings over 40% hatched during the season. This 

 bonus may range any-where from $1 to $5 per thou- 

 sand ducklings. Such an arrangement serves to give 

 the incubator man a greater incentive to give the 

 machines good attention and to secure just the best 

 results of which he is capable. 



Selling Baby Ducks. Within the last two or three 

 years there has sprung into existence a small but in- 



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