DUCKS AND GEESE 



Prices and Uses of Duck Feathers. The soft body 

 feathers and the coarser feathers often called 

 "sweepings" should be kept and sold separate. 

 While scalded feathers are not worth as much as dry- 

 picked feathers, the former if properly dried out or 

 cured will find a ready sale. Feathers packed be- 

 fore they are thoroughly dried out, are likely to ar- 

 rive at their destination in a matted and musty or 

 heated condition. This, of course, injures their qual- 

 ity and the price paid for them is discounted accord- 

 ing to their condition. 



The soft body feathers of ducks are used almost 

 entirely for bedding purposes, that is, are put in pil- 

 lows and fpather beds. White feathers are preferred 

 and usually bring a somewhat higher price. 



The prices paid for the feathers vary quite widely 

 at different times of the year, and in different sec- 

 tions of the country, and also of course with the con- 

 dition of the feathers themselves. The quotations 

 given below represent the prices paid in June, 1921. 



Duck Feathers Cents Per Pound 



Pure white, dry picked 50 " " 



Stained and scalded white 40 " " 



Dark or mixed, dry picked 33 " " 



Dark or mixed, scalded 20 to 25 " " 



Marketing Eggs. On commercial duck farms very 

 few eggs are marketed. This is due to the fact that 

 the duck growers find it more profitable to incubate 

 all eggs suitable for that purpose and to rear and 



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