The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-08-20
FARM AND GARDEN.
Ducks for Profit.

/ have always found poultry growing
profitable, and for fifty years have
taken personal charge Of the fowls on
my farm, but as live In thickly SET
tied neighborhood have kept for many
years only chickens, as turkeys would
trespass on my neighbors, end my ex-
perience with ducks when boy had
greatly prejudiced me against them, and
the farm. In 1895 my wife bought a
sitting of White Pekin duck eggs, from
which we Matched eleven duckhngs the
hast week in May. submitted to the
nuisance, as I supposed 1t would be, as
: my better-half assured me that she
only wanted roast duck few times,
and would not ask me keep any of them
over winter; but before they were ten
weeks old had become so interested in
them that determined to keep them,
and sent for Mr.. James Rankin's book
on duck culture and began to study 1t
with great interest, and after years
care of them became duck enthusi-
asst I found that the Pekin ducks of to-
day bore about the same relation to the
old puddle ducks Of my boyhood that a
bellefeur apple does to a wild crab
The ducks that I formerly nept were
the common puddle ducks. They were
poor layers and great ramblers, would
often go from half to mile from home,
and not get back in time to be shut up
at night, and I would lose their eggs,
and finally before the summer was over
they were all killed in the woods where
they had wandered and furnished re-
past to the providers that were fond of
duck meat. The Pekin ducks have been
bred to get along with but little water,
and are satisfied with supply in a
trough. They are very domestic, and al
though mine have not been confined to
yards, have never known them to go
more than 200 yards from the barn
yard. If one wishes to confine them
fence of woven wire two feet high. and
which costs in the roll 20 cents rod,
will restrain them, but 1t is best to have
base board, ten or twelve inches wide,
under 1t SO as to keep the ducklings in,
as the meshes in the wire netting are
large enough to let the little ones
through until they are few weeks old.
We raised every one of the eleven, and,
to my surprise, at ten weeks old they
were practically grown, and would
weigh neighly three times as much as
Plymouth Rock chickens Of the same
age, and fed with them, and In addition
to this early maturity they are much
harder and bring higher price per
pound in the market. My ducks began
to lay the first week in February, and
have laid to date, May 1, without inter-
mission, and I am now getting twice as
many eggs from them as from the same
number of hens, and 1t is the testimony
Of those who have bred these ducks that
J with suitable care they will average 14C
eggs each per year. Their eggs are
about one-third larger than hens eggs
and have found that in most city mar
kets they are quoted at double the price
Of hens eggs.
In Pittsburg and New York for many
weeks this spring the quotations for
duck eggs were not below rs cents per
dozen, and at times 20 cents, when hens
eggs were and IL cents. Ducks do
much better on soft food. tried feed
Ing a pen of six Pekins on corn early in
April, and the weekly egg record
dropped to ten eggs. then fed bran
and cornmeal wet with milk, and the
next week got thirty-one eggs, and the
following week forty-two eggs, or one
for each duck every day. Mr.. Rankin
says that with good care his ducks often
begin to lay at four monthssold, and lay
until cold weather comes; then stop
Tor short time and begin laying again
in December. Young ducks are great
eaters, and large part of their food
may be green. We SOW lettuce, spinach,
and beets for feeding in May, June and
July, and all through the fall use I'M
salable cabbage. They will also eat the
Gull sweet potatoes, If chopped, and ap-
pies. In fact, almost all kinds Of vege-
tables are utilized by them, and while
they eat more than hens I do not think
the cost Of keeping them is any greater
They are much easier to restrain, dc
not scratch in the garden and flower
beds. and will give much larger profit
than hens. The young ducks can be
made ready for the market in ten weeks
from the egg. I believe that If oul
farmers wives knew Of the merits o.
this breed of ducks they would be found
on most farms.-Waldo F. Brown, ir
Farm, Field and Fireside.