28 LL550N5 IN POULTRY KEEPING — SLCOND SERIES. 



each— medium long in body, deep at keel, with flat backs and short necks; we also see that they 

 have a .sharp, quick eye, and carry themselves well when walking. 



" It we wish to produce large birds we use rather email, active drakes, weighing, say six 

 to seven pounds each. We do not use small drakes coiihtantly year alter year, lor that 

 would run the stock out. Our favorite mating is ol medium sized birds ol both sexes— the 

 drakes to be as active as possible. This produces good lair sized stock, what we are after lor 

 market. 



" Another mating we use quite Irequently Is, drakes weighing eight or nine pounds with 

 extra large ducks weighing ten to eleven pounds each. This mating has produced lor ua extra 

 large ducks of both sexes.'' 



Feeding the Breeding Stock. 



Ducks are fed practically all soft food. A number of growers have at different times tried 

 giving hard grain as to hens, but generally the result has been to curtail the production of eggs. 

 Herewith are given the rations lor breeding stock recommended by some of the leading 

 i: rowers : 



Ration I. " Equal parts of corn meal, wheat bran, and low grade fiour, with about twelve or 

 fifteen per cent ol animal lood. One-Iourth ol this food should be composed ol 

 vegetables cooked — say, small potatoes, turnips, etc., with all the green rye and 

 refuse cabbage they will eat. Feed this mixture mornings and evenings, giving 

 a little corn, wheat, and oats at noon. Feed all the birds will eat up clean and no 

 more.'' — James Kankin. 

 Ration II. ■' Equal parts corn meal and shorts with ten per cent beel scraps added. II 

 green lood is not available, add. one-fifth cooked vegetables to the mash. Give 

 raw vegetables at noon two or three times a week." — Weber Bros. 

 Ration III. " One-fourth corn meal, one-fourth bran, one-eighth broken crackers, one-eighth 

 gluten meal, one-eighth low grade flour, one-eighth beef scraps. This mixture 

 makes two-thirds of the mash, the other third being scalded green clover cut 

 fine, and boiled potatoes mashed. The grain feed is mixed dry at first, and 

 then the clover and potatoes added, and the whole mixed with hot water and fed 

 warm. Feed all they will eat up clean with a relish. Allow no food to stand 

 before them at feeding times." — Curtiss Bros. 

 Ration IV. "Two parts bran, one part Indian meal, two parts cut clover or other green 

 food. Ten to twelve per cent of the whole to be best quality ol beef scraps." 

 — Pollard. 

 Ration V. "Two parts clover heads, Ijoiled, two parts corn meal, two parts middlings, 

 two parts bran, one part ground bone."— McFetridge. 

 The food for ducks may be fed either cooked, scalded, or simply wet with warm or cold 

 water, but it is advisable to use the same method continuously, and not indifferently and 

 indiscriminately. 



It is of greatest importance that both animal food and green lood be liberally supplied. 

 Ducks are hearty feeders, and, as when laying a duck lays almost daily, sh'e must be well fed 

 and with a good substantial ration. Water lor drinking must be constantly accessible, and it 

 should be near the leed troughs, for ducks wash their food down with water, and may choke 

 il not provided with it. Grit and shell should be constantly accessible. Ducks can be started 

 laying quite readily In early winter by feeding meat heavily in the mash, and by keeping them 

 confined to the house on raw and stormy days. They will stay outdoors by preference, even in 

 cold stormy weather, but may not begin laying il allowed to loUow their inclination in this. 



The floors of the pens should be bedded with coarse hay, straw, or leaves. Nest boxes are 

 seldom used. The duck will scoop out a nest lor hersell in a corner or at the side ol the pen, 

 and duck growers agree that eggs are less likely to be broken when the ducks are lelt to them- 

 selves In nesting than if nest boxes ar^ provided. Ducks lay very early in the morning, mostly 

 before daylight, though occasionally a duck will lay as late as eight or nine o'clock In the morn- 

 ing. II they have liberty they are just as likely to drop the eggs about the yards as to leave 



