86 Money in Broilers and Squabs. 



Rankin says it pays better to raise ducks than onions. 



Newman claims that the Pekin duck is the largest, matures 

 the quickest, has the finest plumage, lays the most eggs, and dresses 

 the easiest for market. 



Never aftproach a pen of ducks at night with a lantern. 



Two year old drakes to young ducks make a good mating. 

 , Handle ducks by the neck, never by legs or wings. 



Newman prefers an 8-pound duck and an SJ pound drake for 

 breeding. 



When ducks begin laying they generally show a black streak 

 on the beak. 



Breeding ducks should be selected at five weeks of age and not 

 fattened. 



The most notable growth is between the third and fourth week, 

 when the duckling often doubles its weight. 



A duck must have water about its eyes daily, or it will not 

 thrive, says H. B. Geer. But if a tank of sufficient depth is pro- 

 vided for the ducks to sink their heads in the water clear out of 

 sight, then they can do without the pond or stream. When this is 

 not done they gum up about the eyes, become listless, sit about, 

 don't eat, and soon die. Young ducks that do not have water as 

 above suggested, drop off one by one. 



Forty dressed ducklings are packed in a barrel for shipment. 



The duck averages about lo dozen eggs in about seven months' 

 laying. 



According to Rural New-Yorker, for the first four days A. A. 

 Skinner, Greene, N. Y., feeds his ducklings four parts of bread to 

 one egg, and one-third rolled oats. At the end of four days, about 

 five per cent sand is added to the food ; and each day following, 

 until the end of the first week, the food is gradually changed by sub- 

 stituting bran and meal for egg and bread. The sand is given that 

 there may be grit in the gizzard before commencing to feed bran, 

 which has a course fiber, requiring grit to cut it. After a week he 

 gives two parts of wheat bran, one of corn meal, lo per cent beef 

 scrap, and, of course, the five per cent sand should be continued un- 

 til the ducks are fattened. Salt is used for flavoring at all times. 

 About the time the sand is first given, he begins feeding green food. 

 It is important that, at least, one-third of their food should be 

 green stuff. It must be as tender and succulent as possible on the 

 start, like clover, green rye or tender grass, cut fine. In winter, 

 cabbage, turnips, beets, potatoes or any vegetables, chopped into 

 small pieces with a root cutter, or even nice clover hay, cut and 

 cooked will do. This green stuff is mixed with the other food in a 

 large box, and moistened with water, but not made sloppy. 



The Reliable Poultry Journal says, contrary to general 

 opinion, duck eggs do not hatch as well as chicken eggs, not by 

 20 or 30 per cent. They are not as fertile, nor are they as strongly 

 fertilized. Many duck eggs that are imperfectly fertilized cannot 

 stand incubation, the embryo dying during the process of develop- 

 ment. On the other hand ducklings are far easier to raise than 



