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.
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 a season.
The ducks are Matched and raised by
the incubator process, with 100 ma
chimes ot2OO 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
off 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 ITO to 13O 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-dependent 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 a beauti.
ful shaded woodland, where a 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
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 emouths. No whole
grain of any sort is allowed at any
time for scientifically raised mar
ket bird.
All food is chopped by immense
machines mixed with warm water
and In some instances boiled to make
1t as nutritious as possible. Cutters
feeders, mashers and mixers are useC
and the object is to pre-digest, as
nearly as possible, all the food intend
ed to be converted into flesh. Tht
pampered duckling is above all thing.
to become a table bird in ten week.
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 O.
midlings is converted into duck meal
in the same length Of time. The grai1
cars hold about twenty tons each
One car of meat scraps lasts about
three weeks. Bran is mixed with tn,
food as it is required, or In case
where the broods are not fattenin1
well or where rainy weather has in
terfered with the process. In the
spring the ducks fatten rapidly, bu
in very warm or wet weather they d,
not advance so easily and must b.
coaxed.
The laying season begins In Decem
Der and lasts until the, last of July
reaching its heighth during Marcel
and April, when from 1000 to LAO
eggs are the daily yield from from
about 1900 hens. Marketing begin
about the middle of March and ends tn
first Of November. The remainder O
the year is used in preparation for tn
following season.
From 600 to 1000 ducks are plucke,
daily during the marketing perio
and the pickers become quite expert
Five cents per duck is paid for thi
work, andione stout darkey woman
who can pluck as fast with the RICH
hand as the left, takes pride in he
record Of lbs ducks a day. One othe
picker is . close second with 100 duck
to her daily credit.
The duck business is not learned i
q day. A certain other duckery hs
been raising ducks for nineteen veal
and has sent to market 800, 600 duel
lings; yet the owner Of this busine.
confesses that he has much yet /