Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-03-17
.PEkIN GENERAL UTILITY
-RREED AMONG DUCKS
Ordinary Farm Flock May Consist
= of Ten Ducks and Two
su.. brakes.
BOTH THRIFTY AND HARDY
But Arc Great Believers i'm Voice
Culture, and Their Noise Make
Them Annoying if NciShbors Arc
Too Close.
DN MfRA KELSEY cox,
Practical I'oultry,yoma

IrncticSt Poultrywonan,
The White Pel>in is the general
utility breed among ducks. II is :,
good layer of hgh-gradc eggs. :,
thrifty rapid grower. with valuable
feathers. To it's discrcdit only are its
noiseness and sturdy appetite.
Among hens. the general utility
breed may be said to hc the Barred
Rock. or perhaps the Rhode Island Red
The White Emhdcn among geese. and
the Mammoth Bonzc among turkeys
have similar qualifications The
,laimant 10 tho same class among tho
duck tribe is surely the White pclin.
The points Of likeness between the
White Emblem goose and the rckin are
peculiarly apparent. Not alone in the
.,soior scheme. which they obviously
-'Ssharc, but in habits, carriage. disposi-
ZION and dependable qualities. these
breeds OF two tribes arc parallel
For many years the popular or com
mon duck was tho Puddle. voCitcrouS.
happy-Eo lucky. accommodating itself
70 tho simplest existence hu, OF no
marked characteristics nor special
iluc--juSt a duck When about 1870
ne White rokin was imported from
China, the land OF ducks. its reception
was far from tolerant. Ii was not
royalty alone that commended it to
slack lovers. With oriental pl:,bility.
1T. adapted itself 10 it's now home and
proceeded To demonstrate its abilities.
10 the Pckin belongs the credit for the
Dipetus given to duck raising in this
country.
Its qualities arc not spectacular. The
l'ekin is not sensational layer. nor
ire cmincntly "A table fowl nor a show
bird. though its white piumagc. yellow
s'haHlis ana orange bill might wcll put
IL. in tho last named class. II is sim
piy a dependable breed of honest lay
iuE habits. valuable for it's large white
eggs. and its feathers. The test with
cit challenge is its valnc i'll market
aud I'ckins alive or dressed always
over,op, other ducks by or ; cents q
pound 5 II rivals the MuScovy. not be
ausc II is considered as fine Il table
/ WI. but because of its soft white
feathers. la some sections whcro
.'GkinS arc raised in numbers, they arc
picked at regular intervals, as geese.
i,ncu dry picked. tho feathers com
riand price almost equal TO that of
TIC best goose feathers.
I.EkIN BEGINS i.AlINt.
IN FEBRUARY AND i<I:i:Ps At TT
beginning about February. the rckn
ilys prolificaily till late in summer in
rayoratlc environments The oSGS.
large and piuiiish white. grade higher
IN ,uarkct than the dark Tuddl" duck
eggs, and constitute one of the Pckin'S
points of superiority.
\ standard hock for tho ordinary
arm lot may consist OF ten ducks ana
80 Cr iLrr., yr,rs Tpe unck should
nave It's dvck- house win ncS:s. ana he
.uucd oa,h uirni The n,x, .ay a,
,ouor II o',lork nv which time IN
,aily layiu,, j.; over. th,y may he turn
"a out for Tho dny. NI?ur c-.s ARC
1854 hy ncclcctiu. to hold tho nocIl
each morning have seen score: al,
81; lost on crcel shore. due to uofl.
.scnrc on tic uart OF owners. On tho
nther hand. dc,nn,ion az me nook too
iong shortcus their WORKING dav and
cuts thv regular quota OF cg.s Tue
a.ason's frs, eggs should b.. SOFA unless,
one has facilities for protecting. ;hc
voiln.. from unreasonable cold snaus.
Ducklincs far. i'll If confined too close.
" In one placc.
The ducks may hc pcrr,i,tcd TO incu
Late, hatch and rear their yo,,u- hut
most rai.crs prefer tn, more efficient
plan of using hcus or iucuhators This
rur,,s the ducks uut us ccc-machjucs.
The sturdinc%s ana iudrpcndcncc of
he littlc ones uYJ,cs /, vary ,,sy IN
rais. th,n il, hoi,sas nr ..onns in snail
or large no.Ls
yhc poi,in js , .ros, r.,.. . r,c,
indicated r,v - shny,l-Iil.. Am !, "a
uuirus uuch food fn, ,h, dtvcln,n.r,
,r lie rI,,,rs,. t,., hoj,. I'm, =. u,;u
i,c1v s,,r,,lGI,,.n,s 49,.
owing. \ TOOK .,, attend ,n H.. o,y,,
wants ori,e cn,,tr, .,n,,,n, ,n,
even roar - I,-i,,r No,ls or yn,,n,. 49,.
Various, p.tnoi., win, Icl. ing ,,r,,..,,l
rs Min nthrr rnultr, liz .,,,..,,,I,,r
disoositinr ,..r.I, ta ..n,d f,,,i ,,
5rns Win -, '.i,,,,, low 'ot
i,s.-r,ar ,,h,ra..t..,i.,i,. - 49,, AMMAN,
vim Within !, .. -, ,"p'.''H
rnwi ~, ,.si,,j,.,, , -" 49, I
food so .,,.,,,,l, 80