Money in Broilers and Squabs. 83 



twelve ounces at night. The experiments were made with breeding 

 ducks. 



James Rankin says too often the health of the young bird is in- 

 jured by the improper feeding of the mother bird during the laying 

 season. 



Mrs. J, R. B., Indiana, writes that she finds that medium sized 

 eggs, shells entirely free from any lime sticking on outside, gives 

 best results in hatching. 



To illustrate how heavy a loss one could endure without failure, 

 says John Weber, if oac-half of the eggs put in the incubator only 

 hatched and only oae-half of those hatched lived, there would still 

 be enough in it to encourage one to stick to the business without 

 taking into account the fertilizing value of the vanquished host. 



Weber Bros, give hard-boiled egg and bread crumbs as the first 

 meal to their young ducks. When they have learned to eat they 

 are fed on bread crumbs and rolled oats the next four days. After 

 that they get the regular food of cornmeal, shorts, flour and beef 

 scraps. They are fed five times a day until four weeks old, then 

 four times. 



John Weber, in an address before the Ploughman Farmers' 

 Meeting, Boston, said if one already owns a farm, $1,000 capital 

 would, give a good start in the business. Such an amount would 

 be sufficient to cover all expenses. Two incubators, a flock of about 

 thirty ducks, a house for the breeders, a brooding house and 

 heater, feed boards and water fountains, wire fencing, etc. Such a 

 plant would keep one man busy, and the future growth of his plant 

 could be built on the profits. 



The Weber Bros, feed the laying ducks during the breeding 

 season, equal parts of cornmeal, wheat bran, ground oats and flour. 

 Ten per cent of beef scraps is added, and thirty per cent of boiled 

 turnips and cut clover. They are given all they can eat night and 

 morning. At noon they are given about a quart of whole corn to a 

 pen. They seem to be very fond of this grain and begin calling for 

 it with all their might long before noon. It is scattered up and 

 down each yard, and the ducks scramble for it with their usual 

 grace. A Pekin duck in a hurry is a comical sight. 



At seven weeks of age, the ducklings should be fattened for 

 market and fed only three times a day. Weber Bros, feed 3-4 meal, 

 1-4 flour 15 per cent beef scraps, and all the green food they can eat 



once a day. 



James Rankin, in Farm-Poultry, says he never cooks the food 

 for ducks after they are a week old, but mixes it up with cold water. 



Weber Bros, bed with saw dust in summer and fall; meadow 

 hay in winter. 



Extra large eggs, ill-shaped and porous shelled ones, do not as 



a rule hatch. 



Weber believes in having the best for breedmg, it bemg folly 

 to breed small, undersized birds. 



Sand or gravel land, with a slope sufficient to give good drain- 

 age, is best for duck culture. 



