Money in Broilers and Sqtiabs. 87 



chickens, at least this has been the rule thus far, hence the duck 

 men, given a good market, have always been able to make more 

 money than the broiler man. There are ten successful duck plants 

 in operation to-day for every one successful broiler plant, but we 

 are confident this will not be so three to five years hence. The 

 harder a thing is to do, the better the price, and the fact that ducks 

 are easy to raise, are of rapid growth, etc., now threatens to overdo 

 the duck business. 



A correspondent in Country Gentleman, writing about the care 

 of ducklings, says : "Your brooder must be prepared to receive the 

 little beauties, and must have been running at 90 degrees for at 

 least a day. Handle them carefully when removing, taking pains 

 not to injure their legs or feet, as these are very tender. Keep 

 them dark and quiet for at least half a day in the brooder, and then 

 coax them to eat. Ducklings are very timid, much more so than 

 chicks, and will not bear handling." 



John B. Garber, in Rural World, says he feeds little ducklings 

 chiefly on corn bread, such as is used on the table, soaked in sweet 

 milk. He feeds five times a day until the young begin to feather, 

 when he feeds but three times. 



Don't get the duck brooder hotter than 90 degrees for the start, 

 and gradually lower that temperature as the ducklings grow. 



Even James Rankin, who has bred ducks as a business for 40 

 years, says he is constantly learning something useful and new. 



Too wet food is apt to cause diarrhoea. A day of looseness of 

 the bowels will take as much flesh as can be put on in four days' 

 feeding. 



It is estimated that laying Pekin ducks will require from 2-3 

 to 3-4 of a quart of food per day for each duck ; or from 66 to 75 

 quarts per 100 ducks, giving a little more at night than in the 



morning. 



Mr. Rankin says ducklings should be fed 4 times a day until 

 6 weeks old, then 3 times is sufficient. Until 6 weeks of age, they 

 should be watered only when fed, after that water also between 



'meals. 



One of the largest duck raisers on Long Island uses equal parts 

 of cornmeal, wheat bran and a No. 2 grade of flour, and thinks 

 cracker crumbs and boiled eggs are not necessary. He uses about 

 10 per cent sand. 



The American Cultivator, in the market duck's life of 10 weeks, 

 advises for last 2 weeks to feed only morning, noon and night, but 

 for first 8 weeks the feeding hours should be 6 and 10 o'clock morn- 

 ing, 2 and 6 o'clock afternoon. 



' A reporter of the American Poultry Journal was told by the 

 manager of Chatham Fields plant, that the cost of feed for a duck 

 for ID weeks is 25 cents. Labor and expenses are about the sa:me, 

 making the total cost 50 cents per duckling. , 



When ducklings are intended for breeding purposes, the 

 American Cultivator says after the first week the use of equal parts 



