El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-04-07

contend that they do better without
| such natatory exercise
Can Do without Swimming.
| Government experts are OF opinion
1 that il is better that the breeding
stock should have water to swim in.
! But they can get along very well with
out So far as the casual observer is
able 10 judge. the only difference he
4 tween upland" ducks (as the dry
/ farmeti birds are called and water"
I ducks is that the nlumage or the lat
I ter IS cleaner and prettier. Taking all
T circumstances into view ii is urged
by the department OF agriculture that
the average farmer. no matter where
located. could add substantially TO his
income by keeping 4 flock OF ducks
Easter Duck Popular.
The Easter duck is rapidly coming
10 be recognized as an Easter equi-
valent for the Thanksgiving turkey. So
tender and so luscious IS its meat.
when properly prepared for the table,
that the demand for IL is steadily and
surely increasing. The best restau-
/ rants feature it on their bill Of fare
as a special dainty. and a the clubs IL
it an expensive but highly appreciated
luxury
The toothsome quality OF its flesh is
. attributable largely. II not mainly. 20
the carefully regulated diet on which
the duckling is reared. During the
first five days OF its life the young
bird gets nothing TO eat but chopped
that II has four meals daily OF such
material and wheat bran. corn meal.
rolled oats, and beef scraps-usually
two or more of these mixed with some
green food. The stuff is made up into
q mash, for the duck has no crop"
and its provender therefore must be
soft and mushy.
Costs VI lney.
1t will he obvious. then. that ii costs
money to rear the up 10 date duck for
market The food IL requires is eI-
pensive, and everlasting care and at
tention is required The machinery
that relieves the mother bird OF her
natural duties comes TO a pretty
penny. in the starting OF such a plant
as is here described Most city folks
are familiar with the every day incu-
bator. which matches a rev dozen eggs,
nut how surprised they would be 10
behold the huge contrivances OF this
sort employed on q first class duck
farm.
one % these incubators will hatch
1000 eggs al once. being divided into
series of compartments. each OF
them with a separate tray. The tenn
Derature of all the compartments is
automatically regulated, the heat be-
ing supplied from a hot water heater.
It is an artificial duck mother on a
monster scale, turning out little duck
lings by wholesale.
Is Help to Mother Duck.
The old fashioned mother duck had
n SUI NtdA " uO III tlir AldtflitdA va
besides Matching her eggs II was also
required OF her that she should take
care OF the young. protecting them
against cold. seeing that they got
enough TO eat. and defending them
against DasSible enemies. But. under
the advanced duck farming methods,
all of this business is attended to by
machinery or al all events by the
employment Of scientific apparatus.
Thus, TO start with, the newly
Matched ducklings are transferred from
the incubator TO a "brooder house"
where hot water pipes keep them
hung over the pipes and beneath these
they huddle for protection against the
cold. At this period IF their lives they
are very delicate and sensitive to at
mospheric chances. The first three
weeks. in fact. is the critical time II
they survive that long. they may be
counted on for market. But the slight
est csrelsssness IN the early stage may
cause heavy loss.
After being artificislly mothered in
the warm brooder house Tor three
weeks. the ducklngS are transferred
70 the cold broOder house-which must.
however. be heated somewhat If they
are being raised for very early market.
Here they are kept until they are six
or seven weeks old, when they are put
into the growing pens" to be fatten-
ed. Their appetites are enormous. and, |
supplied with all the food they can
gorge themselves with. they attain |
weight Of five pounds at an age OF
ten to Il weeks.
Scientifically slaughtered.
Then along comes the cruel person |
who does the killing. The ducklinSs |