The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1898-01-25
DUCKSIN GREATDEMAND
THEIR BREEDING FOR MARKET is A
GROWING INDUSTRY.

Duck farms, writes Rene Bache in
the Detroit Free Press, are being
started all over the country, even
where there is not drop of water for
the birds to swim in. Pekin ducks
are raised as easily as pigs, and they
can be fattened to weigh eight and
and even nine pounds.
Just think of ducks weighing eight
and nine pounds In truth. duck
raising has become an important
source of revenue lately to shrewd
and en'erprising farmers, and there is
n big future before it, There are
many farms in this country to-day
devoted exclusively to Matching and
rearing ducks, and averaging from
| 5000 to 10000 birds as an annual out
put. A notion of the proportions at
taineI by this industry may be had
from the fact that rs much as three
tons of feed are used daily by single
| breeder The profits are the very big
gest, and good incomes are made
when once the business has been
Thoroughly mastered.
A dozen years ago ducks were not
considered profitable to raise, their
flesh being not very highly esteemed
by the people at large The old
method of rearing them vas to keep
them i'll ponds and streams, feeding
them mostly on fish and water insects.
This diet gave them n strong fishy
flavor; hence the lack of popularity of
| the fowl in the markets.
Artificial Matching and motherinQ.
combined with judicious feeding and
scientific system of rearing, have al
tered these conditions entirely. At
present there IL great demand for
tame dncks, the average housewife
having come to know that no kind
of meat is sweeter and better favored.
The quality of flesh, indeed, has been
wholly changed by improved methods
of treatment and regulation of diet
for the birds. Machinery has enabled
the duckraiser to place his stock in
the markets when prices are highest,
and also to rear large numbers of the
fowls in limited time.
The average farmer has all the ia
cilltles for growing goodly number
of ducks, and may with little outlay
add considerable to his income. 1t is
not ut all necessary that ducks should
have access to water, they grow and
thrive rs readily without There are
successful plants where thousands of
ducks are raised that have no water.
save that which is given as drink. 1t
has been matter of much dispute
which is the better way. Some duck
Keepers allow their growing stock free
access to water until they are eight
weeks old, when they are penned and
fattened for market. Others have no
water on their farms, excepting wells.
The only noticeable difference between
upland and water ducks is that
the latter are of prettier and of cleaner
| plumage than the former.
Houses for ducks are simple affairs.
They are built plain and comfortable.
and have no furnishings whatever. A
duck is differently constituted from n
hen, and must be cared for under diff
| ferent conditions The hen needs
warmer houses and drier surroundings
than does the duck. A duck does not
mind the cold, if she can keep her feet
warm; cold feet will affect n duck as n
frozen comb does n hen, retardinq
laying and inducing ailments. The
feathers OF duck are almost impene-
trable and will withstand almost any
| degree of cold. Again duck can
not stand the amonnt of confinement
In house that hen can; she is more
restless in disposition and is given to
exercise in a greater degree than is
hen.
Duck eggs are hntcL ed in incuba-
tors in just about the same way rs
hens eggs. The young ducklings are
very delicate and sensitive to atmos-
pheric changes; they must he kept
very warm and protected from chill
ing The first three weeks OF duck
ling's life is the critical period: after
that time the loss is very small-hard-
ly five per cent. When bird is three
weeks old, it may be counted on for
market. The baby ducks are snuggled
beneath brOoders, around which strips
oil WOODEN cloth are hung to retain
warmth. OF course the brooder- house
IS artificially heated But in every de-
tail system must govern; the slightest
carelessness Is apt TO cause heavy loss.
After being artifcially mothered in
the warm brOoder-house for three
| weeks, the ducklings are transferred
| to the cold brooder- house. which must
also have some artificial heat if the
birds are being raised for very early
market Here they are kept until
they are six or seven weeks old. when
they are transferred to larger quarters
known "a growing houses." From
this time on they are pushed for mar
ket, being supplied with the most fat
temng food and ms much Of il ms they
will eat At ten weeks old they ought
to weigh four pounds. and then they
may be killed, plucked and dressed
! Ducks grow twice ~ fast a. chickens
In the wild state ducks gather their
food from brooks and marshes. brows-
ing upon grasses, small fishes. water
insects, etc. When they are raised
in confinement, this diet must he imi
tated to some extent The duck has
no crop, and it's provender must be
soft and mushy. Bread crumbs. corn
meal and hard-boiled eggs are the
| proper stuff for duckliug during
the first five days of its life
after that, wheat bran. corn.
meal, roller oats, beef scraps. and
some green food, and four meals are
required daily. The breeders on Long
| Island use large quantities of fish for