The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-10-22
BIG RANCH
FOR DUCKS
How Extensive Duck Raising
Is Carried On With Profit
Near Philadelphia.
10000 DUCKS ARE MARKETED IN one YEAR
Besides Sale of Birds Their Feathers
Return Large Sums Each Year
The Story Told.

Besides Sale Of Birds Their Feathers
Return Large Sums Each Year
The Story Told
The dispatches state that a model
duck ranch, equipped with every Ia
Dor saving device and convenience, is
to be seen in operation at little
town near Philadelphia. This is one
of the largest ranches devoted to duck
raising and is said to prepare and ship
$4,000 ducks to market in season.
The ducks are Matched and raised by
the incubator process, with 100 ma
chimes Of 200 capacity each operated,
Matching probably 10000 eggs every
% days.
The baby ducks do not require food
the first day Of their existence, be-
cause the nourishment they bring
from within the shell is sufficient to
sustain them while they are drying
OFT and learning to move about the
warm brooding apartments. All are
of the same stock, pure Imperial
White Pekins, and in order to keep
this desirable breed about fifteen
thousand laying hens are selected.
The breeders are picked from the
April Matched ducks and start to lay
about the first of December, being es-
pecially fed. The laying stock is ex-
pected to produce from 10 to $50 eggs
each per season.
GIVEN MASH FOOD.
Young ducks are cared for in the
long narrow houses where fresh water
and mash food especially adapted to
their needs is readily distributed. AS
they become more self-dependentt they
are moved to the runs in the yard,
where clean coops connected with
each run provide adequate shelter
FROM storms. Here they enjoy life
until they are about eight weeks old,
when they are conducted to beauti-
full shaded woodland, where large,
clean, waterway invites them to come
in and wade about or swim to their
hearts content or until they shall
have attained the age Of ten or eleven
weeks, which generally finds them
about five or six pounds in weight
and ready for market.
| A visit to such an establishment is
a revelation to the person unacquaint-
ed with with the mysteries of duck
raising. The most expeditions meth
DDS are used in feeding the thous-
ands of hungry rmouths. No whole
grain Of any sort is allowed at any
time for a scientifically raised mar
ket bird.
All food is chopped by immense
machines mixed with warm water
and in some instances boiled to make
it as nutritious as possible. Cutters,
feeders, Washers and mixers are used
and the object is to pre-digest, as
nearly as possible, all the food intend.
ed to be converted into flesh. The
| pampered duckling is above all things
to become table bird in ten weeks
and it must have tender, fine, heavy
flesh and excellent flavor.
TEN TONS OF CORN A WEEK.
A car of corn is consumed in two
weeks and about the same amount Of
midlings is converted into duck meat
in the same length of time. The grair
cars hold about twenty tons each.
One car of meat scraps lasts about
three weeks. Bran is mixed with the
food as it is required, or in cases
where the broods are not fattenine
well or where rainy weather has in
terfered with the process. In the
spring the ducks fatten rapidly, but
in very warm or wet weather they dc
not advance so easily and must be
coaXed.
The laying season begins in Decem.
4 Der and lasts until the last of July
reaching it's heighth during Marcel
and April, when from 1000 to 1,4O(
eggs are the daily yield from from
about l,8OO hens. Marketing begins
about the middle of March and ends the
| first of November. The remainder Of
the year is used in preparation for thu
following season.
| From 900 to 1000 ducks are pluckee
daily during the marketing periot
and the pickers become quite expert
Five cents per duck is paid for thi
4 work, and one stout darkey woman
who can pluck as fast with the rigll
hand as the left, takes pride in he
record of lbs ducks day. One othe
picker Is a close second with 100 duck
to her daily credit.
The duck business is not learned ii
a day. A certain other duckery 1a
been raising ducks for nineteen year
and has sent to market 100000 duck
lings; yet the owner of this bushes
4 confesses that he has much vet t
learn. Experience counts FOR muc
: in the business of breeding and raj.
ing Of poultry of any kind, but in tai
day and generation science has b,
lcome the all important unit. Oh