Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1917-10-31

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The Indian Runner is kept largely
| for egg productions; yet great many
people around here never see duck
egg during the fall or winter months.
| Why? Simply because they don't give
the ducks the right kind Of care. Their
poultry are never kept separate at
any time; that is, they allow all kinds,
| ducks, geese, chickens, etc. big and
little, to have free range; with the
result that none do their best.
| These people often wonder why the
writer can have duck eggs as well as
hen eggs, all winter. We have kept
Indian Runner ducks for a number of
years, and have found that it is just
as easy to induce duck to lay eggs,
as it is to get eggs from Leghorn
hen. In fact, we think it is easier. A
duck will respond to good care, much
more readily than will hen. A well
matured duck will usually begin lay
ing when from five to six months old.
While the feed is perhaps the most
important factor, there are other
things to consider To begin with,
they must be given good shelter. A
duck-house need not be expensive.
We have number of low, well bui1t
houses surrounded by yards enclos-
ed with poultry netting. Any kind of
fence that is closely built, will turn
ducks. AS a rule, it is not necessary
to keep the old ducks yarded, except
in winter or when eggs are wanted.
A duck is liable to lay anywhere. They
seldom make nest.
1t is not advisable to keep large
numbers together. They do much
better in small fiocks. This is why
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they should be large enough TO allow
the ducks TO have some exercise when
they are kept housed A house 15x20
feet is>large enough for about 80
duck, when they have to be kept in
doors, as they sometimes do in very
cold weather. A duck like chick
en- hen) that roams at WILL In zero
weather, seldom lays many eggs.
However, a hen can usually endure
more cold than a duck. Apparently
it is a ducks feet that suffer most.
Therefore, we try TO make the houses
comfortable with good floors and
plenty Of bedding. Never use saw
dust, as the ducks are liable to eat it.
Clean straw. dry leaves or litter from
the barn loft are all good We try TO
keep the houses as clean as possible
by renewing the bedding before it is
badly soiled. The roofs and siding Of
the houses should be as good as the
floors. Otherwise, the floors will get
damp. If duck is kept in damp
quarters it is liable to get rheumat-
ism or cramps. A great many begin
ners imagine that because duck is
so-called water fowl it need not have
dry floor to sit on at night. We know
by long years of experience, that
dampness is almost as fatal to ducks
as it is to other fowl.
If floors become damp, as they
sometimes do in spite of all efforts to
keep them dry, coal ashes will take up
the moisture as quickly as anything
we know of. Scatter it thickly upon
the damp spots, let remain for half an
hour or longer, Then remove ashes
and sweep floors before putting in
fresh litter.
We usually sift the ashes and use
the coarse part for grit. The ducks
need other grit also, such as oyster
shell and coarse sand. But they al
ways eat cinders and charcoal, if they
are in reach. Coarse sand should be
kept in trough or box near the feed
trough. A duck wants sand along
with its feed But it should never be
mixed with the feed.
Al water trough should be placed
where the ducks can reach il, while
they are feeding.
A ducks food must not be too
highly concentrated. Solid grain, with
out some sort of roughage, will not
do. When ducks have free range they
eat green stuff. Therefore some sub
stitute must be provided. We use
sprouted oats, green frozen rye, cab
bage, cut clover (scalded) chopped
beets, turnips, refuse apples, etc. Sill
age is said to be good for ducks, but
we have never used it.
Green rye is greatly relished. We
cut it late in the fall Tor rather early
it on the ground and cover several
inches deep with dry leaves. Then
place some heavy branches, or some
thing similar, over the leaves to pre-
vent blowing away. The rye keeps
perfectly as long as it is kept cover
ed; or rather, as long as it lasts,
which is often quite lateAin the win
ter. Vegetables may be used either
raw or cooked. We sometimes use
the latter as a basis for the mash.
Equal parts corn meal and bran, mix
ed with cooked vegetables (mashed)
makes very good ration for ducks. |
The meal or ground grain of any kind
should never be cooked, because it will
get gummy and then the ducks will
not eat it well. For the same reason,
when boiled potatoes are used they
should not be mixed with ground
grain, until after the latter has been
thoroughly moistened. These direc-
tions are given because if the food is
gummy it will clog in the. ducks
beaks and they cannot eat it. Bran
is always used in the mash. We
sometimes use equal parts Of bran,
corn meal and Shorts" or wheat mid
dlings with little salt added; then
moisten with thick buttermilk.
We add some beef scrap to the mash
occasionally, but never when either
buttermilk or skim-milk can be had.
Laying ducks require animal food.
Whole grain is not suitable for ducks
unless it is scalded and soaked for sew
eral hours. We feed laying ducks a
mash or something as substantial, all
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