RANKIN'S DUCK BOOK 



come out in February and March, are all sent to market. The 

 price is too high to save for breeders, but from subsequent 

 hatches, those that come out in April and May, we selected 

 our breeding stock. 



How to Select Breeding Stock. 



Even these birds will command a high price, but I could 

 not afford to wait longer. I was very particular in this se- 

 lection. The birds must not only be of the largest size, but 

 of the most perfect form. The contour of head and neck, size 

 and shape of bill, length and width of body, all are taken into 

 consideration. As a consequence, not more than one in ten 

 will be found to fill the bill, and my 2,500 breeding birds will 

 be selected from many thousands. The result of all this care 

 and solicitude on my part was extremely gratifying, as it not 

 omy gave me the control of the fancy market, but the birds 

 always commanded a higher price in the general market on 

 account of their large size and fattening properties. 



As the ducklings are now ready for market, it is neces- 

 sary that the grower should make some arrangements for 

 disposing of them. He cannot afford to sell them alive to 

 the carts, for though this may be a great convenience to per- 

 sons who grow a few fowls, the profits which enable these 

 parties to run their collecting carts all over the country, and 

 hire men to pick and dress their fowls, will be quite an item 

 in the pocket of the one who grows on a large scale. The 

 best plan for him is to hire an expert to do his picking for 

 him, and if he cannot get one, to take lessons of one so that 

 he can do it himself. This is a very particular business, as 

 there is a great knack in it. Years ago I thought I knew 

 something about picking ducks, but after watching an expert 

 for thirty minutes I was enabled to double my day's work. 



This usually has the same effect upon others. For though 

 it may be weeks before the tyro will be able to do what would 

 be called a fair day's work, yet if he keeps his wits about him, 

 and is endowed with a fair share of energy, there will be con- 

 stant improvement. I received a letter a short time ago from 

 a lady in Ohio, saying that she was very much interested in 

 growing ducklings, and was satisfied that there was money in 

 it, but that her greatest trouble was in getting them picked, 

 as it cancelled a large share of the profits, and that she hired 

 a woman for the purpose and paid her twenty-five cents apiece 

 for picking; at the same time saying that she could not bear 

 to pay the woman less, as it took her a half day to pick one 

 duck. 



I would say here that the duckling should always be put 



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