they will group themselves there; as they are very partial to a 

 nice bed. Thus, their bodies will keep the eggs warm, and early 

 rising on the part of the handler will do the rest. 



The one who handles our ducks recently planned some verj 

 simple houses, which have been put up experimentally. They 

 are really only deep sheds, being six feet wide and 12 feet deep, 

 The height at the front is six and one-half feet, and at the back 

 it drops to 40 inches. The houses are boarded closely, and cov- 

 ered both on roof and sides with one of the commercial roofings. 

 The front is entirely filled by two curtains which drop against 

 the strip binding the house in front, and which open flat against 

 the roof whenever desirable. The more they are up, the better 

 for the birds. 



This house has been planned to meet several difficulties 

 which experience showed. The door is on the side, rather close 

 to the front. It is double, having an outer solid shutter and an 

 inner frame covered with wire netting. The depth of the house 

 is to permit the easy handling of Htter which I mentioned ; to 

 allow, also, feeding near the front on stormy days, and to pro- 

 tect from inblowing wet and snow. The curtains are of cheap 

 muslin. A man who had used duck, which used to be so much 

 recommended, told me that he thought the muslin much better. 

 The duck does not permit sufficient influx of air, he said. With 

 ducks housed only at night I should use loose bagging, nearly 

 always available on the farm at no cost. We do use it wherever 

 possible. 



Ever since I have taken special interest in poultry. Editor 

 Hunter has been trying to drum it into the heads of all whom it 

 may concern that the three points necessary to winter hens' eggs 

 are early hatching, good "growing" and pullets for a standby. 

 In similar way, I might make three points for ducks; early 

 hatching, proper feeding, comfortable housing. Without all these 

 the duck will not often give returns in winter, at least at the- 



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