FEEDING PRACTICES AND APPLIANCES 403 



Where penning is impracticable they should have all the 

 corn they will consume and be given a liberal allowance of 

 meat scraps. The birds that are not in condition at Thanks- 

 giving should be fed out for the Christmas market. 



Feeding Breeding Ducks. — ^The birds selected for breeders 

 should be kept, ducks and drakes separated, in roomy, shady 

 pastures, where plenty of grass may be obtained, or on free 

 range, and fed a light ration of bran, ground oats, a little 

 meat meal, and grit. A large portion of the ration will come 

 from the grass upon which they may graze. A good mash 

 mixture to feed during this period is 2 parts wheat bran, 1 

 part corn meal, and 1 part ground oats. Corn, oats, or barley 

 may be fed lightly at noon, although some breeders omit 

 the noon feeding. Water in dishes deep enough so that the 

 nostrils may be cleansed is necessary, and an inverted can 

 should be placed in the dish or a grate placed over it to pre- 

 vent the birds from getting into the dish. Water in which 

 the birds may swim is not necessary, although ducks kept 

 on a sandy soil or thick green sod will keep cleaner if a 

 swimming place is provided. 



About the first of November the breeding ducks should be 

 placed in flocks of thirty to forty in the breeding pens and 

 yards and fed for laying by allowing free access to a dry 

 mash, which may be composed of 2 parts wheat bran, 1 part 

 middlings or ground oats, 1 part corn meal, and 1 part beef 

 scraps. All the green feed in the shape of cut alfalfa, clover, 

 or chopped roots that they will clean up should be given. 

 Grit and water should be available at all times. If they 

 are kept confined in the pen until eight o'clock in the morning 

 nearly all eggs will be laid upon the floor of the house rather 

 than some. in the yard, as ducks usually lay in the early 

 morning. 



Feeding Young Ducklings. — After the ducklings are hatched 

 they should be kept without food for thirty-six hours, 

 either in the incubator or under a hen. After removal 

 to the brooder or after thirty-six hours under the hen without 

 feed, the feed for the flrst week may consist of equal parts of 

 bran, corn meal, and middlings, with 5 per cent, sand in it 

 for grit, fed five times daily. After the third day, 5 per cent. 



