El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-11-18
Poultry Department
20 Fl 20. b an Fl Pasoan.


been an Unprecedented interest taken
In ducks, and their raising is giving
a profit that is most encouraging to
the breeders.
we have large farms devoted just to
raising young ducks Tor market, some
Of these producing from 10000 to So,
600 ducks annually, and the demand
ever increasing and the price a most
lucrative one.
Right now the Indian Runner duck,
which is without doubt the greatest
egg producer Of the domestic fowls, is
also proving a very fine market fowl
and as the ducks can by proper feed
ing be made of marketable size and
condition in from eight to ten weeks,
and as the Indian Runners are a non
sitting breed we have TO depend eth
er upon hens, which are not always to
he had in sufficient numbers or even
If we have them, we cannot care for
them in sufficient numbers for large
duck production, so we are left to de-
pend wholly upon the incubator for
our Matching.
the hens anyway. for every one knows
how contrary the hens will be and how
uncertain they are. Many may up and
leave the nest when they have been
on a week or two, and as duck eggs
take from &c to % days for incubation,
1t is a week longer tnan nature made
the hen to sit
In the use of the Incubator there are
fully, as being distinctive requirements
for the best Matching Of ducks, these
are not extra cares but are such as
are given to ducks eggs, so that the
person running an incubator with
ducks eggs has no more work than
for hens eggs, but rather that his
work is Of a little different nature
Each person usually has his prefer
ence of Incubator, this as much in his
particular brand being his first ma
chine and he became accustomed to 1t
and felt he knew the machine, rather
than in anything else, and some are
loath to ehange even when they can
see the superiority or the machine.
Having done considerable testing
work, being connected with the Agri-
cultural college I have had the oppor-
tunity Of testing different machines
and Of course naturally find a differ
ence in them. The machine I use and
find best adapted to ducks eggs, has
Waterf heat. and the tubes so arranged
as to give continuous circulation to
the water, thus giving a steady heat
to all parts Of the machine.
Preparing the Machine.
In getting YOUR machine ready for
ducks eggs, put the machine in per-
feet order according to the instruc-
lions that come with ii, having the
thermometer placed upon a paper in
the egg tray, and Wnen the thermOm-
eter reaches 100 then set your regu-
lator so that 1t is just at a balance,
ana this viii fix the temperature.
Then put in your eggs, and during
the first two or three days gradually
work the temperature up to 103,
sometimes Just under 1O3, but do not
let il run higher than 1O3, and keep
al this heat during the entire hatch.
Begin the fifth day to supply mois-
ture, and supply It during the entire
hatch, the best method is to make
sand tray, which can be done by TAX
ing a large shallow tin dish, square
or Oblong and either about the size of
the tray or by using two sand trays
the two viii almost fill the bottom of
the incubator under the egg trays.
The sand should be clean, fine sand
and about half an inch deep. Then
moisten the sand well, but do not
make Il wet, and keep in this cOudi-
tion during the entire hatch, that is
until the eggs begin to pip, then re-
move the sand tray and put in the
cloth, or other arrangement your ma
chine may happen to have, below the
egg tray.
Beginning on the 18th day take out
the egg tray and set over a newspa-
per and sprinkle with warm water,
then putting the eggs back in the in
cubatOr as soon as possible, because
in this climate and may chill the eggs
Continue the sprinkling till end Of
the hatch.
If your machine is provided with !
ventilators that can be opened and |
shut, then on the 18th day open these
wide and leave them open till the end I
of the hatch. A duck egg needs more |
air than hens eggs. and care must be :
taken in this respect. Ducks eggs
viii give off much carbonic gas and /
soon make the incubator smell bad if 4
not well ventilated
Eggs should be Aired.
The eggs should be aired even more !
than hens eggs. as the nature Of 4
ducks is to live more in the cold and I
in the water very much so that |
wild duck comes from a swim in the I
water, which may be even quite cold !