The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-01-26


IN FATrENNG PEN.
which time they should weigh from
four and one-h half TO six pounds.
The duck farm should be located on
light sandy soil. generally on sloping
land, which can be kept sweet and
clean. Good shipping facilities are
necessary in order both to market the
product satisfactorily and % bring in
supplies. nvenieut watering ar
rangements are essential, too. as ducks
require large amount Of drinking wa
ter. 1t In also advisable to allow con-
siderable yard space, and double yards
which may be rotated and planted to
quick growing crops are useful an large
farms
Simple buildings similar to hem
houses are used for breeding ducks. 4
shed roof house from twelve to fifteen
feet deep. seven feet high In front and
four feet in the rear 10 satisfactory. A
good sized muslin curtain and one win
dow In the front Of each pen makes q
good front Plenty Of ventilation In e.
ssntial, and In the south 1t IL usually
AAksA&SSgS ~ NEW NH okEAtA1A A1x1E&
the caves In the rear of the house for
this purpose. Plenty Of litter should be
used on the door, ana the ducks should
be allowed to make their own nests
because they are more apt to break
their eggs II nest boxes are used. A
convenient formula for estimating tho
sine Of the house or pen In to allow etx
feet OF floor space for each duck.
Mating the Fiocks.
Ordinarily from Ave to six males
are allowed for a flock OF thirty f.
males. About the LIST OF May this
number may be reduced to one male
for every seven females and later In
the year still further.
Neither the Picking duck, used chief.
ly for the production of green ducks
for market. nor the Indian Runner
duck. which holds In the duck family
. position somewhat similar to tho
Leghorn In the chicken family. n
good sitter. In consequence practically
all Of the large farms hatch their eggs
In incubators. Formerly lamp incu-
bators Of from 400 to 400 egg capacity
were used, but In many cases these
have been replaced by the larger sized
incubator. Duck incubators are usual
iy kept at slightly lower tempera-
ture than those used for chickens. For
the nrst three weeks the machine
should BE- kept at about 102 degrees r.
and for the last week at 10S degrees or
slightly higher at Matching time. It II
usually advisable to supply moisture
for ducks eggs during the last week
or ten days.
All eggs should be tested at least
twice during incubation, preferably on
the seventh and fourteenth days. and
the fnfertile eggs removed. Those with
dead germs should also be taken out
at once. a. they decompose very rap
IDLY. Tho infertile eggs make good
feed for ducklings or can be used for
cooking. The testing should be done
In dark room and the largo end Of
the egg held up, 80 that the size Of the
air cells may be seen. When held be-
fore the tester an infertile eGg will
look perfectly clear. much like. fresh
egg The fertile egg, on the other
hand, will show 4 small dark spot.
known as the embryo. with mass OF
little blood veins extending In al d.
fections. When the embryo b dead
the blood settles away from It over the
edge Of the yolk, forming what is
known as blood ring. After the
fourteenth day eggs with living EN-.
hryos are dark ana partly filled up.
The brooders and broodlng systems
ussd for chickens give good results n
ssArinG ducklinss. @