DUCKS, GEESE AND GUINEAS 121 



startled, with serious results to the birds at the bot- 

 tom of the pile. Some breeders keep a lantern 

 burning in the house at night, as a partial protection 

 against this sort of thing. 



The one other kind of duck which the amateur is 

 likely to keep is the Rouen, which is a particularly 

 good table fowl, but not so popular as the Pekin be- 

 cause of its dark-colored feathers and slower 

 growth. Rouens are hardy, gentle and good layers. 

 They are not so easily stampeded as the Pekins and 

 may be kept in larger flocks. The amateur with a 

 small farm will find a few of them an excellent in- 

 vestment, for they will shift for themselves to a 

 large extent, requiring but little care. 



When ducks of any breed are yarded, the ques- 

 tion of sanitation becomes an important and some- 

 times a vexing one. Too large a number should be 

 avoided so that the birds may be shifted from one 

 yard to another occasionally, the yard vacated being 

 spaded or plowed and sowed to a thick-growing 

 crop like rye. Shade must also be provided if there 

 is no natural shelter, and may take the form of 

 .strips of burlap or old grain sacks fastened to a 

 light frame. It should not be dense. 



Only amateurs living in the country should try 



