The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1895-02-02
ON A DUCK RANCH.
Pennsylvamia Farm Sells Twelve
Thousand Ducks q Year.


During my vacation days last sum-
mef, says q writer in Country Gentle
man, found In valley under the
shadow Of the Blue mountains of Penn
sylvania what the proprietors called q
duck ranch" The name struck me as
being odd. If it means broad acres,
ranch is misnomer; if it signifies
place where large numbers of animals
or fowls are reared, this place was well
named, since during the past year
twelve thousand ducks were reared on
the few acres of the ranch.
The story told by the proprietor was
confirmed by their New York buyer.
At the time of my visit, early in Sep
tember, there were about four thou
sand nearly ready for market, and such
a multitude Of pure white birds was a
pretty sight. The variety grown is the
Pekin, that at maturity will weigh
fourteen to twenty pounds to the pair.
They have rich, yellow skin, and or
ange colored bills and legs. They bear
confinement well, and it is claimed they
may be reared successfully with water
sufficient only for drink. However, it
is found that without water in which
to wash themselves their plumage is
soiled by the mud, and the feathers,
worth from forty to fifty cents pound,
are injured in market value.
The Pekins are prolific in eggs, lay
ing from 125 to $50 each in year, but
many of the eggs are infertile. In fact,
the proprietors of this ranch thought
they did not get to exceed fifty ducks
from 100 eggs. The duck naturally, or
as ordinarily kept on the farm, rarely
lays before spring time. Ducks reared
in the approved modern style, hatched
in May, will begin to lay about the
holidays and continue laying all win
ter, and this weakeas their vitality.
But why is not the constitution weak
ened also in respect to making rapid
and great growth of frame? The barn
yard fowl has undergone the same rev.
olution OF habit, and I have found their
eggs as fertile in winter as at any other
time. Is not this lack of fertility at
tributable rather to the fact that the
natural habit of the duck is not COM
pletely revolutionized by domestica-
ton? BY nature the duck is mono
gamous-that is, the drake mates only
with one duck-and it is probable that
in large focks there are brakes that
will mate each only with ore duck,
while other brakes will care for two or
more each, and thus the fertilization
proves unequal and irregular. Ducks
at their best do not show the develop
ment of the polygamous habit to the
same extent as barnyard fowls. The
best authorities recommend in-breeding
only five or six ducks to one drake.
The eggs are hatehed in incubators,
which are set in operation as soon as
there is complement Of eggs to fill
machine. On . well managed duck
farm the ducklings should begin to
peep about the LIST of February, and
incubators are kept running until the
1st of July. The ducks are reared un-
der artificial brooders in their houses
and in small yards, and not allowed ac-
cess to water for bathing until a month
old. I presume in winter they never
go out of their yards until killed.
From the time they are hatched until
ready for market the ducklings are fed
all the wholesome food they can digest,
and at ten weeks old the Dekins should
dress ten pounds to the pair.
OF course, such weights are obtained
only by farmers who thoroughly un-
derstand the business. The men / Wis
tied had been in the business several
years and had learned by practical ex-
perience how to achieve success. For
anyone to try it, relying on book
knowledge alone, would simply be in
viting failure. In competent hands
poultry farming may be successfully
conducted on a large scale; hence it
was great satisfaction to see this no
ton illustrated on this ranch. did not
inquire how well it was paying, but
that it was q paying business was evil
dent. 1t is proposed to try and rear
10000 ducks at this ranch next year.
1t is estimated that Pekin ducks may
be reared to the age of ten weeks for
cents a pound, and the price re-
ceived will probably average 20 cents
a pound. The earliest shipments will
realize 80 cents pound or more, and
18 cents is about the lowest figure for
them at any season.
There is one peculiar feature in the
market for choice ponltry-the breeder
need not consign his stock for sale and
take the chances of the market. A
class of New York dealers are always
in search of poultry of superior quail
ity, and will buy it outright at excel
lent prices. These dealers supply the
large fashionable hotels and restaur-
ants, that will have only the best, and
it is often more OF question of ability
to get what they want than Of price.
The house handling these ducks in
New York was getting 20 cents .
pound for choice spring chickens when
what regard as very good poultry
was selling at IS cents. Their custom
ers don't go shopping, but buy where
they know what they get is superior,
and they are willing to pay . good
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