DUCK DOLLARS 59 
die stuff, when you have it. The ducklings like the looks of the mix- 
ture better and eat more of it when the is i 
it to give it color. eee A Rich Food 
This food is given until the ducklings are ten or Mixture 
eleven weeks old, when they are killed. This is a rich food mixture to 
fatten. 
The secret of properly feeding this fattening mixture three times a 
day is to feed just what will be eaten up clean in fifteen minutes. If 
there is any left over after the ducks have eaten briskly for fifteen min- 
utes, the food board should be scraped entirely clean. 
When you get skilful at feeding from practice you will paid hee 
know just how much to feed. The idea is not to give Pat tases 
ager 
these fattening ducks too much food, for if you do they 
will not keep fat. 
Make the morning feeding light. Make the noon feeding light. 
At night be more liberal. Then give them the food good 
and strong. This will last them through the night. Bore Food at 
Keep them eager. They ought to go to the man Night 
who is feeding them at feeding time. Do not disturb the ducks while they 
are feeding. Go on about your business to the next pen. A green man 
standing around the food board and watching them will keep them away 
from their food. Scare them off and they will not go back to the food. 
Always wat:r before feeding. Give the water- to these fattening 
ducks in water troughs built like illustration on page 50. 
Give the food to them on boards the width of a shovel. Keep the 
water trough close to the food board. Do not put it at the end of the 
yard, for if you do the ducks will not go to it to get 
water, especially in hot weather. They eat at the food 
board greedily, and they want water every now and then 
handy, to keep them from choking. They do not like water which has 
been standing in the sun. Give fresh water at each feeding time, also 
water between feedings. That is to say, this extra watering for the fat- 
tening birds is done at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. 
You judge by the appearance of the bird when it is fat enough to 
kill. Killing age may be at eight, nine, ten, eleven or twelve weeks of 
age. Pick up the duck by the neck and feel of the body. 
Feel of the duck’s back. Ifit is fat there it is fat all over. When to Kill 
If it is thin there, put it back into a pen reserved for 
culls. These culls should be examined three weeks after being thrown 
back to determine whether they are then fat enough to kill. 
If you cannot tell by feeling of the duck whether it is old enough 
to kill, put it in a bag and weigh it. When six or eight ahs Tianhe 
weeks old it ought to weigh four pounds, or four and Weight 
one-half pounds. At ten weeks it ought to weigh five eg 
and one-half or six pounds. 
When they are really fat they ought to be killed. Keep them longer 
and they are going to lose some fat. 
When they are eleven to twelve weeks of age they have a light 
molt, shedding some feathers. They lose their appetites and go back 
Water Near 
the Feed 
