Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-06-18
Raising Ducks.

It by no means follows because ducks
are waterfowl that much water is re-
quired to raise them. Yet this is a very
common impression, and multitudes Of
farmers and villagers deny themselves the
enjoyment and profit Of flock of ducks
because they have no pond or stream near
the house. 1t is true that adult ducks will
get good deal of their living out of a
water privilege if they have one. 1t is not
true that water to swim in is essential to
their profitable keeping. They want some
range and grass and good fresh water to
drink every day. Ordinarily, ducks can
be profitably raised wherever hens can be-
They make a pleasing variety in the poul-
try yard, and all who have room for them
can enjoy them. The first thing in rails
ing ducks is to get them out of the shell,
and for incubation we decidedly prefer
hens to ducks. They sit more steadily
and take much better care of the young
The wetting of the ducks eggs daily in
the last two weeks of incubation is even
more necessary than for hens eggs.
In a recent visit to a poultryman who
has just started in duck.raising, heshowed
us five young Pekin ducks and six dead
ducks, well dried up in the shells, from a
sitting of twelve eggs. He had not
learned the secret of wetting the eggs
This is sometimes done by sprinkiing
water upon them, but we think it better to
take them from the nest and put them in
basin of tepId water about blood-warm.
This moistens the whole shell without
chilling the embryo life within. The
ducklings out Of the shell may be allowed
TO remain upon the nest with the hen for a
Gay. The hen may then be put upon a
grass plat under a coop, where the
ducklings can 90 in and out at pleasure
Or if the hen is allowed liberty, the
ducklings should be confined in a small
pen from which they cannot escape. a
dozen in pen ten feet square is enough,
for the first two weeks. For water they
only want shallow pan-sO shallow that
they cannot swim and in which they can
wade at pleasure. The water should be
changed often and kept in good drinking
condition. For the first food nothing is
better than the yOlk of hard-boiled eggs
or boiled liver chopped very fine. The
food had better all be cooked for the first
week. 1t may then gradually be changed
to coarse scalded Indian meal, oatmeal,
Wheaten grlts or rice, as suits the con-
Venlence of the feeder. Bread crumbs
and sour milk are excellent food, as are
angIe-Worms and snails. They are quite
as good as chickens at devOuring insects
ana nothing seems to harm them but rose
Bugs, against which they should be jeal-
ously guarded. For this reason they
should be kept away from grape-vines
ana other plants specially attractive to
I4ese insects. As the ducklings grow
oder they may have more liberty and
greater variety of food. If they have not
Pienty OF grass its place should be sup
plleo by lettuce, onions, cabbage, or other
green succulent food. If YOU desire ex-
9lbltion birds of the largest size, it is par
ticularly important that the ducklings
should be FED regularly and at frequent
d no5 having all the food they can d.
gest. Five times day is none too fire.
q9ent feeding. We have usually succeed
e1 quite as well with ducks as with
cnlckens IN village yard. When grown,
we give them larger range.-Amer5cqn'
Agriculturist.