Milford chronicle., 1917-11-02
A TALK ON DUCKS.
By J. H. MeFAUL, Jr.
(AH Rig6tS Rsse,7'eA

| With feed at top notch during the winter
season, and the Duck consuming only a
little Of it while laying we'll, should not
that be some inducement to adopt this
winter fowl as a part Of your poultry
family? A good flock of Runners will
yield you a nice profit during winter,
help to tide over the idle hens, and still
net YOU a profit at this season OF the year,
don't mean to say that Ducks grow
liKe weeds. without any care or attention,
for this is not true. But then, they do
not need the same care as is required by
hens. nor is it necessary to feed them as
much a variety of foods as the hens.
Ducks will do their best on straight
rations, which is not true OF the hens.
Most persons who raise Indians Runners
feed them but once a day, which shows
that they consume much less food than
chickens. This meal, by the way, is
given in the evening and only requires a
light feeding. Being of a rowing nature,
the Duck when liberated will wander of
and seek most of its living from the soil,
and in many cases, rarely ever shows up
until nearly sundown when the evening
meal is about to be given.
The rowing spirit of the Duck makes It
necessary to keep them penned up dur
ing the greater portion of the morning,
in order that the eggs may not be lost.
The Duck is an early riser and an early
LAYER, most of them depositing their egg
before nine O'Clock in the morning. They
should, therefore, never be liberated un-
til after that time of day so as to insure
getting the eggs.
The best results are usually gotten
from Ducks when ysrded in hocks OF
about thirty fowls each.
They are less susceptible to disease
than chickens, and indeed, sickness IS
rarely ever seen among them. This fact,
coupled with their laying ability, makes
them a most profitable fowl to raise. The
dreaded disease of roup and gapes, so
destructive to chickens, are unknown
among ducks, and lice, which are the
cause of the death of 50 many chicks
have no horrors for the waterfowl. Yes,
they have a few lice, but then, they are
hardy enough to be able to withstand the
onsloughts of this parasite.
The question of feeding is one easy to
solve. with regard to the Duck. There
are many persons who prefer to feed
them twice a day, and do so, as they do
not think kindly of liberatiug them with
OuN uEak kANAlk AA04s Va NGAA - 1850
are no objections to this, but It is not at
all necessary and results in the cost Of
keep and naturally cuts down the protit.
If YOU desire to feed in the morning, let
the meal be the same as that given in the
evening. A good food, and one that will
answer every purpose, can be made by
mixing i part bran. part middlings, =
psrt beef scrap, which has been sprinkled
with little salt aud pepper. This may
be fed in the evening or both morning
and evening. They should also have
some form of green food, such as cab
bage, sprouted oats, clover, beets, Pota-
toes looked or alfalfa.
Keep before them at all times cracked
oyster shells, coarse sand and ashes, and
above all things, plenty of good fresh
drinking water. Don't get the erroneous
I idea that it is necessary to maintain a
pond for the Ducks to swim in this is
[ bv no means necessary. Provsde little
shade for their convenience. when de-
sired, and you will have but little or no
trouble with them.
/ Log, cheaply-constructed houses are
/ all that is required for Ducks. Make the
! roof to turn water, the entire south
end left open for air, while the floor
/ should consist of sand. During the win
ter the sand floor may be covered with
leaves. which suits the Ducks admirably.
In choosing poultry for profit one nat
urally looks to their laying qualities, and
therefore turns to the White Leghorn
and Ancona in the chicken line. For the
sane reason let me advise you to put II
the Runner for the waterfowl end Of th'
industry. if your desire is to increase
your profits.