The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-01-18
POULTRY DEPARTMENT
ABOUT AYLESBURY DUCKS.
VINCENT G. HUNTLEY PstaIuma tcaI) Poultry Journal

sible 10 be made from ducks If prop
erly managed. and II you have the
| right kind Of stock they are certainly
more easily managed than chickens
or turkeys. OF course. there is a diff
ference Of opinion as to the best way
to rear them. Some advocate keeping
them out OF the water altogether. only
giving them enough to drink; others
say pen them up in small pen to
fatten. others give them their liberty.
have tried them all ways and have
found the quickest way to grow ducks
is TO let them swim as soon as they
are a week or ten days old, and have
whatever exercise they like to take up
till they are, say, six weeks old, in the
meantime giving them as much food
as they will eat up clean. l found
that being confined in the shed for
the night was enough confinement for
that period of their lives. The first |
thing they will do when let out in the |
morning is to take bath. Ducks do
better and grow faster when they are
very soon turn this into mud in an
attempt to clean themselves. They |
turn from a white duckling into a
brown one and appear stunted in their
growth, and at eight weeks old, when
mine are fit for the table. my neigh
bors' ducks are only about half size.
How is it?" they ask, Mine were
Matched the same time as yours, and
yet are not half as big"
Give Ducks Freedom.
My answer is: Let them feel clean
and comfortable. Give them run
and a good bath once or twice day
and then see the alteration"
Having taken their bath. they i'm
come back to the feed ]
trough, and If there is nothing there IA
for them you will soon know it. This
Is the time when l feed them pretty z
generously with a substantial mash, c
myself and consisting of meat and l
various grain meals, beans, bone, etc. G
After they have filled themselves, Up
hey again go to the pond for the pur-
pose Of their toilet, and, as it were, c
o wash their teeth p
If they are really well fed they will
lot stay in the water, especially after I
hey get certain age. They simply p
'one out and lie down on the bank,
md If not disturbed will probably s
emain until midday, when they will
eel like another bath and a feed r
nd drink, which may be grain, which /
hey like the best thrown in the water.
hen you will find them taking another
est until about or s o'clock, when
they have chance, they will start b
lean. have proved this scores of
ines in places where people have
atched ducks at the same time as Al
Il
lyself, and probably from the same r
ggs, but have kept them penned in a at
mall run where they only have a ne
mall pan OF water to drink. They like liz
, forage for snails, slugs, etc The tn
Lst thing before dark, shut them up hi
the shed for the night, with good 70
atch of soft feed. Occasionally tn
ould vary and give them grain. sh
After they are about six weeks old In
would feed only twice day, but ar
ould only let them out to battle tic
orning and evening before feeding,
I'd would always feed In the shed, sic
wing enough water to wash their Sc
ouths out after feeding. treated tut
EN- thus until they were fit for the In
life, that is. when their mott is just 1t
mpleted. A good way to tell is to OF
atch their pinion feathers, when they tn;
{ near together. Ducks should be vic
the right plumage for plucking.
mt let them stay after that, or you sa,
II have pin feathers all over your an'
cks in few days. which spoils the Tn
licking as well as the look OF the the
a n. L