The Ottawa free trader., 1885-11-21
FARM zGARD|ElN
Large Profits Made From Ducks.

The visitors to the recent state fair per.
haps noticed the large hatch Of duck
lings made by Mr.. James Rankin, OF South
Easton, Mass, in his incubator which he
had onexhibition Hisexperience, which Is
given for the benefit Of our readers, is very
interesting. The question OF how much
land is required for raising poultry may bs
answered by saying that on tract not ex'
ceeding an acre Mr.. Rankin cleared prohs
of $l,575 from ducklings. His adult flock
consists of thrty-tive ducks, and the profits
average S45 for each duck, or more than Is
realized from the same number of dairy
cows on many farms. He uses the PeklnS,
but thinks a cross between that breed and
the Ayleslury superior to either parent
His adu ducks are allowed "a large trough,
through which fresh water constantly flows,
which is used for bathing purposes Ihs
number of eggs last year was l4O from each
duck The eggs were hatched in nincubators,
from which 5000 duckling' were raised
to the age of from eight to ten weeks and
marketed. the price received i'll the Boston
market being thirty Ceats per pound for
those that came in early, and eighteen cents
per pound for those that were late, the
average price being twenty-five cents per
pound.
As duck,ings grow much faster than
chicis, and are subject to fewer diseases,
they not only reached the market IN short
time after Icing hatched but the percent
age Of loss was very small, which, o.
course, Is due to the careful attention they
received. They also come into market after
chicks are low in price, They attain the
weight of from eight to ten pounds per
pair at the age of eight weeks, being ready
for market in three months from the time
the eggs are put in the incubator, four
weeks being allowed for incubation. The
extraordinary weight shows an increase of
half pounl per week from the date of
birth for each duck, but as they increase
faster as they become older until maturity,
those over six weeks of are increased at the
rate of one poun per week. Tn. cost of rails
ing eacl ducklng to the age of eight weeks
was five cents per pound, the average price
per pound for each duckling being twenty
two cents Mr. Rankin's profit was seven
teen cents per pounds, AMI b. calculation 1t
will be seen that the 5000 duckliags pro
duced over 1900 pounds OF meat, which
yielded over 81, 600. Other expenses, such
as quarters, attendance, ETC., reduced the
profit to 81, 515, or s45 as the produce Of
each adult duck OF the thirty-fve. The
young ducks had no access to water, except
for drinding purposes, and were fei in the
same manner as chicds, except that they
require more animal food and must be
fed often, owing to their rapid growth.
Mr.. Rlnkins experience is valuable to
all who are interested IN poultry, AM few
excellent lessons are taIsLt II the first
place but little lan YVES required and in
the second place he discarded the scrubs,
using the best brGeis to BE- found, which
are pure white i'll color. with yellow legs
and beaks The young duc'llngs were
killed AMI sent to market dressed, each
yielding from an ounce to two ounces of
feathers, at fifty cents a poun!, which
paid the expense of preparation for the
market. There is no secret IN Mr.. Rankin's
success, as all that was required was to at
tend 10 them as a business. In fact, he
makes it a business, juss as a dairyman
gives his cows his atten ion, and finds that
it pays He does no. attempt to conduct
some other business, and look after his
poultry III his spare time, but is with them
early and late. The figures given here are
the profits from ducklings only. He
matches and raises thousands of chicks,
however. using incubators entirely, and
does not think it a difficult matter to
make poultry paw