RANKIN'S DUCK BOOK 



have shade. Years ago, we sometimes lost twenty birds out 

 of a hundred in thirty minutes, before we knew the cause. 



QUESTION 7.— How many birds should constitute a 

 breeding-yard? 



ANSWER. — Twenty-five is enough unless the birds have 

 free range, then fifty may run together with safety. 



QUESTION 8. — How shall I proportion the sexes for 

 the best results? 



ANSWER. — Five ducks to one drake. Later in the sea- 

 son, six or eight ducks to one drake. 



QUESTION 9. — How can I distinguish the sexes? 



ANSWER. — It is easy for the expert to detect the sex of 

 the bird when very young. The drake has a longer bill, neck 

 and body, with a more upright carriage. At two months old 

 the duck may be distinguished by her coarse quack, the drake 

 by a fine, rasping noise, and later on by the curled feathers 

 in his tail. 



QUESTION 10. — How soon will a young duck begin lay- 

 ing? 



ANSWER. — At about five months old, often at four and 

 a half months old. At present, September 1st, we are getting 

 some three dozen eggs per day from our young birds, and we 

 are trying to hold them back all we can by light feeding. 



QUESTION 11.— Which will lay first, old or young 

 birds? 



ANSWER. — Young birds will usually lay from two to 

 three weeks before the old ones, but as the first eggs of the 

 old birds are usually more fertile than eggs from the young 

 ones, there is very little discrepancy in the result. 



QUESTION 12. — How many eggs will a Pekin duck lay 

 in a season? 



ANSWER. — About one hundred and forty. Their fecun- 

 dity is wonderful, excelling that of any other duck. We have 

 birds in some yards with a record of one hundred and sixty- 

 five eggs to each bird. 



QUESTION 13.— To what age is it profitable to keep a 

 duck? 



ANSWER. — We have kept them till four years old with 

 good results. If not forced they may be kept longer to ad- 

 vantage. 



QUESTION 14. — Is there a market for their eggs, and 

 at what price? 



ANSWER. — Pekin duck eggs sell readily in market, as 

 they are much larger than the other duck eggs. They com- 

 mand from five to ten cents per dozen more than hen's eggs. 



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