670 



Cost of Rearing Ducklings. [dec., 



weights attained were much heavier and the cost of increased 

 weight per pound gained, which is the true test of any system, 

 was smaller. Ducklings fed on dry mash on the other hand 

 did not grow quite so fast in the last two weeks, and cost 

 rather more per pound gained than those fed on soft food, 

 though the actual amount is small. This is explained more 

 fully in Table VI, which gives the comparisons between the 

 two lots. 



The cost of the ducklings at nine weeks old is arrived at as 

 follows : — 



Table V. — Cost of Ducklings at Nine Weeks Old. 



Lot I. Lot II. 



Soft Food. Dry Mash. 



d. d. 



Initial cost of egg ... ... ... 1*5 ... 1*5 



Cost of working incubator ... ... 0*38 ... 0*38 



,, ,, brooder 0*28 ... 0*28 



,, food, average 14*98 ... I 5' 2 5 



Average cost per bird ... ... 17*14 ... I 7'4 I 



In these results, which are remarkably uniform, it will be 

 seen that no estimate is made for interest on capital, which 

 would be very small indeed, according to the number of 

 birds hatched and reared, as one incubator and two brooders 

 would be capable of producing and rearing 400 ducklings in a 

 season. As regards labour, in many cases the birds would 

 be reared by the owner and the profit would amply compensate 

 him. Where assistance was hired, then the amount to be de- 

 bited to that item would depend upon the number reared 

 and what other work was done ; id. per duckling would be an 

 ample allowance for the former, inclusive of depreciation of 

 plant, but the latter may be left out of present consideration. 



The total cost, therefore, of rearing a duckling to nine weeks, 

 either on soft food or dry mash, is about is. 6d. Probably that 

 would be increased if the birds were fed for early killing, but, 

 as already mentioned, these experiments were not intended to 

 secure rapid growth, which fact must be kept in view. They 

 confirm the opinion generally held that ducklings are heavy 

 feeders. In the tests with chickens* raised to a killing age — 

 thirteen weeks — the corresponding cost worked out at from 



* " Growth of Chickens and Cost of Rearing," Journal > August, 1905. 



