BROODING AND REARING YOUNG STOCK 



nearest the heater as the temperature will run some- 

 what higher there than in the portions of the house 

 more remote from the heater. These 5x10 foot pens 

 will accommodate 125 baby ducklings although bet- 

 ter results will be obtained by placing only 100 in 

 a pen if sufficient room is available. Some duck 

 growers use boards which can be slipped into slots 

 made of cleats nailed to the pen partitions at dif- 

 ferent distances from the hover and which serve to 

 confine the baby ducklings close to the hover for the 

 first few days or until they learn to go under the 

 hover to get warm. 



As additional ducklings are hatched later and 

 brought to the brooder house, the ducklings already 

 there are moved along the necessary number of pens 

 in order to accommodate the new-comers in the pens 

 nearest the heater. For this purpose, a small door 

 is made in each partition next the outside wall of 

 the house through which the ducklings can be 

 driven. A broom is a handy implement to use in 

 driving the ducklings as they can be pushed along 

 in front of it. It is best to drive the ducklings 

 just after they have been fed as they are not so nerv- 

 ous and afraid at that time. 



The increased width of the pens in the second 

 and third portions of the house is for the purpose 

 of taking care of the growth of the ducklings as 

 they are moved along the house. Pens of the same 

 width as those in which they were started become 

 too crowded as the ducklings increase in size. 



85 



