The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1904-10-29
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IGH ID qaite sure to take an I'M
pOri..I.l l.-i.t in the thoughts of Amerl
can snor, Smcn. 1t is time now that tN'
matter should receive consideration
and THAI sporismen all over the coun
try should 90 their part toward push
ing forward an idea which ultimately
is certain to be generally taken up. anc
when taken up to greatly benefit those
who u,c the shotgun.
As has already been said. wild ducks
are arliticially reared in various parts
OF England, and on considerable
scale. For example. Sir Richard Ora
ham, OIL his estate at NetberDy. II
Cumberland, has reared 10000 wild
ducks in a season. Only 200 or 3O'
wild ducks are kept to lay. which they
do chiefly in the woods. nesting in &
natural manner. The remainder OF
the eggs are imported from the coun
ties OF Hertfordshire and Norfolk
from which come 1000 or 5000 eggs
carefully packed with hay in baskets
in lots of about 100.
When they reach their destination
they are given over to keepers and
helpers, separated and set under hens
twelve eggs to hen. Incubators have
been used, but since it is necessary to
give the ducklings to mother tO
brood, there is no special gain in the
use Of incubators, except that they are
sometimes useful for weak young
birds when first hatched.
When. the hens are setting. large
grass field is selected. carefully fenced
with wire to keep out vermin. and the
coops for the 900 hens are put out III
the field. AS each brood matches, the
ducklingssin baskets with the mother
hen are carried to the field, and each
family d established in its home. The
birds eare fed four times a day. and
are given water in shallow pans for
drinking, but not for bathing. But
when abou. three weeks old, shallOV
pools only eight or ten feet across are
prepared, and in these the ducklings
swim, wash and play. Much of the
time OF the youngsters is spent hunt
ing insects through the grass, and as
they grow older they are more and
more disposed to neglect their moth
ers. Early in life they are fed largely
on wetted corn meal, and later eat the
whole corn. When about six weeks
old the young ducks are removed from
the field to the places where they are
to be permanently. Three of these
duck homes are on streams that run
through the estate. One is almost in
the centre of a wood.
About hundred years ago large res
ervoirs were constructed at Tring. and
these have always been frequented by
wild ducks of various sorts. 1t is only
about fourteen years ago that artific-
tal rearing Of ducks began there.
The eggs used are gathered on the
spot, and somewhat after the method
recently described in Forest and
Stream, as used by Mr.. George Corwin,
ut Chautauqua Lake fifty or sixty
years ago. An area Of water. marshy
ground, and water plants is inclosed
by a netting. Wild birds are trapped,
and, having had their wings clipped,
are turned loose in the enclosure. The
eggs laid are gathered and set under
hens, and when the broods are Matched
they are taken to their field as already
described. At six weeks old these
birds are taken to the waterside, and
there are still kept in an Enclosure.
They fly at from ten weeks to three
months old. The success had in rear.
Ing the wild birds is extraordinary.
About ninety per cent. Of the eggs
match. and the birds do not seem to be
troubled BY any epidemic or disease of
any sort.
The success obtained in the cases
mentioned has led more and more own
ers OF estates to so into the artificial
rearing OF wild ducks, and there prob
ably has not been a time within n Gem
fury when inland wild fowl shooting in
Britain was so good as it is to-day.
The shooting. except that already de-
scribed ms from "gazes," is largely
from what are called "butts"-anotber
form Of blind similar to what rronse
are shot from-and the shooting is
what VIE in America would call pass
shooting-that is to say. at birds flying
overhead.
What has been done in England can
be done in America. and undoubtedly
will be, when anybody is sufficiently
interested in the matter to take il I'M
In earnest.
For a number of years few persons
In various parts Of the United States
have been rearing wild ducks and
geese for use as decoys. the species
chosen being chiefly mallard. the
dusky duck, and the Canada goose. At
present an engineer in st. Joseph. No.
Is engaged in breeding wild mallard
ducks. which he sells as decoys. Such
examples show the entire feasibility
Of engaging in the artificial rearing of
Wild fowl on a large scale, and nothing
more is required than an expansion of
what has already been put in practice
to enormously increase the wild duck
supply of the United States. We be-
lieve that the artificial rearing Of wild
FOWL on State and National reserves
will some day give the gunners of the
Urited States shooting somewhat like
hat Of old times.-Forest and Stream.