RANKIN'S DUCK BOOK 



as a substitute, finely chopped cabbage or lettuce. When the 

 birds are two weeks old, one part corn-meal to three parts 

 bran should be used. This food should be scattered upon the 

 feeding-troughs, which are simply one-half inch boards, nine 

 or ten inches wide, by three or four feet long, with laths nailed 

 on the sides and ends. Small water-cans, inverted in tin sauc- 

 ers, so that the ducklings can drink readily without getting 

 wet, should stand convenient to the food. 



How to Remove the Ducklings Without Injury. 



To facilitate the removal of ducklings from the machine, 

 I had a square basket some two and one-half feet long, by 

 fifteen inches wide and one foot high, with close covers, hinged 

 in the centre. In order to secure the ducklings, usually all that 

 is necessary is to open one door of machine, hold this basket 

 under it and make a little chuckling noise, and strange to say, 

 the little fellows will run out over the pipes, over the glass 

 door, down into the basket in dozens as fast as their little legs 

 and wings can carry them. This basket will hold 100 duck- 

 lings conveniently. When full, it should be carried to the 

 brooding-house and carefully inverted over the feeding-boards. 



The little birds will begin eating at once. This process 

 can be repeated until the machine is emptied. There will be 

 some of the later-hatched ones that should be allowed to re- 

 main in the machine ten or twelve hours longer, as they can 

 be cared for better there. These can be readily detected, as 

 they are not as active as the others, and perhaps not complete- 

 ly dried off. The ducklings should be put out, if possible, dur- 

 ing the middle of the day, and while the sun shines through 

 the windows, as they can be fed in the sun and put under the 

 brooder later in the day. 



In event of there being no sun, it will not do to feed under 

 the brooding-box, as it is too dark. Take a one-half inch 

 board, four feet long (to correspond with the length of open- 

 ing in front of brooder) and six inches wide. Nail two pieces 

 of the same width and height, one foot long, on to each end 

 of this board, forming a parallelogram four feet long and one 

 foot wide, minus one side. This is set up in front of the 

 opening in brooder, and being of the same length, forms a 

 little pen in front of brooder one foot wide, in which the feed- 

 ing trough can be placed with drinking fount. 



The ducklings can then run out and in and feed when 

 they wish. This board will only be needed for a day or two, 

 when it can be taken up and reserved for the next brood. The 

 ducklings should be fed once in two hours, scattering a little 

 food on the troughs. Be sure that they eat clean before more 



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