The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-17
HE RAISES MALLARDS.
Missouri Citizen Breeds Wild Ducks
for DccOys.
Kansas City Journal.


Kansas City Journal.
That wild mallard duck can be reared in
captivity. and that at a neat profit. has
been clearly demonstrated by Peter Foil
man. resident of st. Joseph. Mo. who
has at present on his premises in that city
more than leo of these game birds so much
priced by sportsmcn
Mr.. Follman is a stationary engineer en-
ployed at one of the St joseph packing
houses. He works twelve hours day and
yet finds time to look after the needs of
his feathered family. So quietly has he
conducted his duck industry that it has
passed beyond the experimental stage with
little notice except from sportsmen. The
building in which he has Matched and
reared his ducklngs is one admirably
adapted to the purpose. 1t is an old, we'll
lighted storeroo-n, formerly used by the
packing house in which Follman works. In
one corner IS a large vat or tank which
makes all ideal swimming pool. Around it
pebbles and gravel have been spread and
cattails and reeds have been planted.
In another part of the building the
hatchery is located. 1t consists of a series
OF boxes not unlike those used in the
binary farmers hen house, with this diff
ference, however. that each box stands on
the floor and is carefully concealed from
the others In the bottom of the boxes
deep layer of dirt is placed, and on top Of
this is a handful of excelsior. In these in
viting retreats the mother duck lays her
eggs and matches her little feathery tribe,
apparently unconscious of the fact that she
is not acting in accord with the customs of
her ancestors
The feeding ground of the ducklings is
common one. 1t consists of space on the
floor, about six feet square, inclosed with
Keats made with lath. In this place the
food, which is mostly fragments from pack
ing-house employees dinners, is deposited
once day by Mr.. Follman On these oc-
caslons one may hear an unusual number of
quackS and the futter of many wings,
and, were he not watching. might readily
suppose that the birds were eagerly flock
ing 10 the feast prepared for them after
the fashion of chickens and domestic ducks.
But such is not the On the contrary,
his daily visit seems to be a signal for them
to hunt cover which they do with surpris-
ing alacrity.
By the time he has got fairly into the
room there is not ducking in sight, nor
can one be heard anywhere. Shortly after
ne has left however, they emerge from
thelr hiding places and fairly tumble over
one another in their greed to get at the
good things left for them. This wildness
OF their nature has been a perplexng prob
lem to Mr.. Follman, and determination to
overcome II was for a time his only in
centive in rearing them.
The ducks are all mallards and the first
were obtained from eggs found at Mud
lake, near st. Joseph. Follman had these
eggs Matched by hen and took particular
pains to domesticate the orphans They
would not take kindly to his overtures of
friendship, however, and he decided that
perhaps the next generation would be more
inclined to do so.
In, sl,s
appointed as in the first and finally he gave
up all hope of DEMONSTRATING the little
devils as he called them and told friend
that he guessed he would turn them loose
But the friend had a commercial head and
was somewhat of a sportsman besides, so
he told Folman just to wait and he would
snow him something worth while.
Accordingly ne took several of the ducks
TO nearby lake and had them anchored
as decoys, and came home with full game
bag where other sportsmen got nothing
There was general inquiry as to where
he had obtained his decoys, and he revealed
the secret Then there a stampede for
Follman 5 place, but the friend had been
there ahead OF them and had given Foil
man an idea of about what pair of decoys
should sell for. His whole stock would have
been sold out in single day had he not
remembered that he had better keep a few
ducks with which to raise more. Thus it
was that he discovered the commercial
value of the little feathered creatures. and
now he has no thoughts of wasting his
time trying to domesticate them.
The last season Follman has had a big
demand for his ducks decoys and a yet
larger and more lucrative demand from
that class of sportsmen who go hunting
and fail to bag anything and yet don't dare
TO go home without something to make a
showing So steady and strong has been
the latter demand that Mr.. Follman has
been forced to raise the prices on all his
ducks as he has frequently been offered
from S. to $40 for the birds, in case moth
ing is said about it,
When asked whether or not he would
continue the duck business on a larger
scale, Mr.. Follman replied that he would
Il can, with a little more work double
or treble my present output" he said land
| have not yet found it necessary to adver-
tise my business in order to find buyers
] think that this next year / will try rails
ing teal as well as mallard, for | find there
is large demand for Them especially for
decoy purposes"