Vol. LYII. No. 2531. 
NEW YORK, JULY 30, 1898 
*1 PER YEAR. 
A PRACTICAL DUCK MAN. 
IIOW n E FEEDS, BREEDS AND MARKETS. 
Characteristics of the Pekin Duck. 
[EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.] 
Mr. Alba A. Skinner, of Greene, Chenango County, 
N. Y., is a successful duck man. In conversation, Mr. 
Skinner said : “ We have been raising Pekin ducks for 
five years. My son and I are equal partners. We have 
no secrets but care and hard work. Our plant covers 
10 acres. The chief natural advantages are pure spring 
water, which can be piped wherever desired, and kept 
constantly flowing in little troughs within reach of 
the ducks, and well-drained land with clay subsoil, 
especially suited to plum trees. These can be planted 
close together, and by their quick growth, make the 
dense shade required for the duck yard. Ducks can¬ 
not stand the sun. 
Taking Care of the Duck. 
“ We winter about 500 ducks for breeders, in the 
proportion of one drake to six ducks. If one doesn't 
wish the ducks to lay until Spring, they may be kept 
almost anywhere, but for early eggs, 
they must have a warm place. This 
building with double roof and sides 
stuffed with hay seems to be just the 
thing. There are very few days, even 
in the coldest weather, when water 
freezes here, and most of the time the 
doors to the yards can be open. We 
commence hatching in February and 
continue until August. The incubators 
are our own make, and are constructed 
on different principles from any other. 
I worked 15 years before getting them 
to suit me. Probably we shall market 
10,000 ducks this year. There are 
about 6,000 on hand now, and we have 
already marketed over 2,000. 
“ After the young duck has finished 
his preparatory course of instruction 
in the incubator, he enters the brooder, 
and from that time forth is promoted 
every week, until, at seven weeks old, 
the fattening pen is reached. From 
this he is graduated in three weeks— 
a first-class ‘quack’, tender and juicy 
and ‘ fit for a king ’. It takes but a 
short time each week for an experi¬ 
enced man to move these little ducks 
from one pen to the next, and this is 
done that they may have the pens, 
yards and feeding devices best adapted 
to their needs. At seven weeks old, they are so nearly 
full grown that any of the larger pens is suitable, and 
of course, they are not moved again until fattened. 
The yards are separated by a wire fence about two 
feet high, with a board at the bottom.” 
The brooders are heated by liot-water pipes. Here 
the little ducks spend their Winter evenings, and as 
much of the daytime as they may desire, for the first 
three weeks. After that time, Mr. Skinner finds it 
best to accustom them to stay out as much as possible, 
even in quite cold weather. In Summer, one week in 
the brooder is sufficient and, when the weather is 
really warm, no artificial heat is used. 
What the Ducks Should Eat. 
“ How about feeding ? ” 
“ For the first four days, we give the following mix¬ 
ture : two-thirds bread crumbs and boiled eggs, in the 
proportion of four parts of bread to one of egg, and 
one-third rolled oats. At tne 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 substituting bran and meal for 
egg and bread. The rolled oats •’mayQprofitably be 
continued two weeks. The sand is given that there 
may be grit in the gizzard before we commence feed¬ 
ing bran, which has a coarse fiber, requiring grit to 
cut it. We want good, sharp building sand, not peb¬ 
bles. I once killed 250 little ducks by putting gravel 
in their pens for litter. It got mixed with their food, 
and they swallowed some of it, clogging the passage 
from the gizzard. Ducks naturally get their grit in 
soft, fine dirt. They take a mouthful, wash out the 
loam and clay, and swallow the sand. After a week, 
we give two parts of wheat bran, one of corn meal, 
10 per cent beef scrap and, of course, the five per 
cent sand should be continued until the ducks are 
fattened. Salt is used for flavoring at all times. About 
the time the sand is first given, we begin with the 
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, of course. In 
Winter, cabbage, turnips, beets, potatoes or any vege¬ 
tables, 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. 
At seven weeks old, we begin to fatten, using two 
parts of corn meal to one of bran, and about 15 per 
cent beef scrap. We get the best Winter-wheat bran 
obtainable. The ducks will fatten on a poorer quality, 
but the flesh will not be the delicate white desired for 
market. They are fed four times a day. We try to 
give them all they will eat clean and have a good ap¬ 
petite for the next meal. The most noticeable week’s 
growth is between three and four weeks old. During 
this week, they frequently double their weight. 
Getting Ready for Market. 
“ The ducks to be fattened are not allowed to go 
into the water, as the exercise works off their flesh. 
Those kept as breeders, however, swim and paddle 
around all they wish. They are selected when about 
five weeks old, and never fattened. 
“In marketing, the desired number are removed 
from the pen and driven to another inclosure. Here 
they find the bath-tub with pure running water. This 
being their first opportunity for bathing, they go at 
it at once and soon come out clean and white. Next 
they go to the slaughter-house, where they are killed 
and picked in the usual way, and packed for market.” 
“ What average weight do you get at 10 weeks ? ” 
“4% to 5% pounds dressed. We have had some that, 
at eight weeks, averaged five pounds by the barrel. 
In quality and price, our ducks stand as high as any 
in the New York market.” 
“ Why do you market at 10 weeks?” 
“ At that time, their temporary plumage is perfected. 
If allowed to go longer, the pin feathers of the adult 
plumage begin to start. We would have to wait six 
weeks longer, and it would take more to grow this 
complete plumage than the whole bird has cost up to 
this time.” 
“ What is the food of the breeding ducks?” 
“One-third each of bran, vegetables and corn and 
oats, with a little animal food in the shape of beef 
scrap, fish scrap and fresh fish. This keeps the shells 
in good condition, and the eggs have a higher degree 
of fertility.” 
The Pekin Duck and Other Matters. 
Pekin ducks are not subject to diseases or parasites, 
and have but two objectionable peculiarities, viz : 
their natural timidity, and their harsh 
voices. “We get used to the latter,” 
said Mr. Skinner, “ but their timid¬ 
ity causes us considerable trouble. 
Though they get accustomed to their 
keepers to a certain extent, they are 
always on the lookout for strangers 
or any strange motions. Let a man 
get in a conspicuous place and take off 
or put on his coat, and every duck will 
have his head up and one of those 
sharp black eyes on the watch. We 
notice this timidity as soon as they are 
hatched. For about a week after they 
first find their food, they are quite 
tame, but after that their timid nature 
returns and never leaves them. I have 
heard of instances of their getting so 
tame that they could be picked up any¬ 
where, but have never seen such cases 
myself. After a fright, Pekin ducks 
are very nervous. When night comes 
and one touches another in the dark, 
both are startled and bump against 
others, and so they keep jumping 
around all night. In the morning, 
they appear dazed and stupid, like a 
man who has been ob a spree. A friend 
once came to see me. He brought a 
dog, which raced around and fright¬ 
ened the ducks ; I didn't want to say 
anything, thinking no special damage would be done, 
but I was mistaken. At night, these ducks began 
with their nervous nonsense, and kept it up every 
night until marketed. They would not fatten, and 
that dog’s visit, probably, cost us $50. When we shut 
up the ducks on account of a heavy shower, the same 
trouble is experienced, but we have partly overcome 
this by putting up lamps.” 
“ How did you get started in this business ? ” 
“ When I first became interested in ducks, I read all 
the books and papers on the subject that I could get 
hold of, and then went at it in a sort of theoretical 
way. Of cottrue, many mistakes were made, but each 
one taught a good lesson, and we have profited by 
them, as well as by the experience and suggestions of 
others. We are especially indebted to Mr. James 
Rankin for excellent advice in several emergencies. 
At first, eggs were bought of the most experienced 
breeders, and we continued to do this until we found 
that our stock was just as good as theirs. Now we 
depend on improving the stock simply by selection 
and methods of growing.” 
“ Do you raise many chickens ? ” 
“ We do something in Fall broilers to hatch in Sep- 
PEICIN DUCKS AND PLUM TREES. Fig. 237. 
