The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-10-04
DUCKS THAT NEVER SWIM.
Mr.. Rankin's Great Duck Farm.

Mr.. A. +. Hunter, furnishes that paper
with the following interesting descrip-
ton of Rankin's duck industry Mr..
Rankin is authority on poultry raising
by the artificial method.
The duck sold in our markets to-day
is a vastly different bird from that of
twenty or even ten years ago. People
formerly supposed that it was imposs-
sible to grow ducks successfully with
out their having free access to pond or
stream, and as they derived half, or
more, of their living from the bugs,
pollywogs, lizards, ETC., which they
captured in their aquatic exercises,
their flesh was lean, coarse favored and
"fshy." They were anything but a
tempting morsel to the lover Of good
eating Now all this is changed. The
artifcially reared duck OF to day is ed
ucated to a complete Indifference to
water excepting to quench thirst is
reared in small yards which do not per-
NIT the using up Of all his energy in
exercise, SO that he has little to do but
take on flesh and fat instead of grow
bones and feathers. consequently his
body is broadened out and rounded in
stead OF being "clipper.built'' as of
yore and, when properly denuded Of
his feathers, his carcass is attractive to
the eye, giving promise of dish to
tempt an epicure. The flesh Of the ar
tifcially reared duck is not only sue
cuent and nutritious, but of remark
ably fine flavor, delicate, toothsome.
The natural consequence is rapid iu-
crease in the popularity Of ducks, and
the public appetite is fast becoming
educated to the fact that fat, crisp,
roasted duckling of ten weeks old is far
ahead Of either turkey. goose or
. chicken.
Mr.. Rankin's large farm is. not
wholly given over to ducks, only some
half dozen acres being devoted to the
buildings and yards for that industry,
and these buildings and yards are
grouped Immediately about the general
farm buildings, the farm barn being
the geographical center.
TWENTY-FIVE HUNDRED MATCHING
EGGS.
First in interest is the incubator
house, long, low structure, bank
walled to the caves, along the sides OF
which are ranged the six 600 egg
"Monarch" incubators, and at the
further end a smaller sized one, which
is used as tender to the larger ma
chimes, supply eggs to fill the vacant
spaces made by removing the eggs
found to be infertlle. Mr.. Rankin
considers this small machine the most
valuable one in the house, as by using
it thus he is able to keep all six of the
larger machines running full.
AS ducks eggs are considerably
larger than hens eggs large sized
"Monarchn will hold about 1925 of the
former, so that when Mr.. Rankin has
all his machines running he has about
$500 eggs in process of incubation,
and the different machines are timed SO
as to hatch at regular intervals of either
four or five days, 2Sdays being required
for incubatiug ducks eggs. One ma
chine was Matching the day l was there,
and saw the operation Of sorting out
the half-dried ducklings and putting
them into the space beneath the egg
trays, where an inch of clean sawdust
was their temporary home.
1t would astonish novice to see Mr..
Rankin help out belated duckling by
splitting off the butt of the egg shell,
and by dexterous twist with his fore
finger drawing the head of the bird out
so that the muscles Of the legs could
then act to free the body.
The ducklings remain in the bottom
'of the incubator till they are about
twenty-four hours old and they need
no food or drink during this time,
nature having provided for their sus,
tenance by the absorption of the egg
from which they are Matched into their
bodies. And they should have an in
terval of rest and recuperation from the
effects OF the great change through
which they have passed before their
digestive organs are called upon to
work up supply of food,
The next step is to
THE BRooDER HOUSE,
low building 1876 feet long, divided
into 20 pens of 6xS and 7x10 feet each,
having yards outside corresponding to
the mems. in which the babv ducklinos