The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-02-18
Make SUCCESS
RAISING DUCKS
Market Demands Should Be
Studied Before Making Large
investments in Fowls.
LESS SUBJECT TO DISEASE
Artificial Methods of Matching and
Rearing Have Been Used Success
fulIy-Pekin Breed Is Hardy
and Good Layers.

Ducks can be raised with success
and at profit on general farms or by
town poultry keepers. but do not APP
pear TO be easily adapted as q source
of income to average farm conditions
MS chickens, although they serve to
add variety both of meat and eggs
for the table The demands for
ducks eggs are more limited than for
hens eggs, and the demand for table
duck at good prices is, TO great ex-
tent, confined to the large cities, and
is not nearly as general as the demand
for chickens For this reason poultry
specialists of the United States de-
partment of agriculture advise that
prospective duck raisers study the
market conditions before making
large investment in ducks.
Intensive duck farming on large
scale, the specialists say. has been
more successful than intensive chicken
/ raising The Pekin ducks, which are
| kept extensively by commercial grow
/ ers, are less subject to disease than
chickens, and artificial methods of
/ Matching and rearing have been used
very successfully by them. These
| facts, together with the care in feed
ing and the study of market coEdi-
| TONS, have been responsible for the
1 success of many commercial duck
rdiSers. Farmers have rarely given
the necessary attention to these latter
points to secure Il large share of the
trade in fancy green" ducks.
Growing Green Ducks.
A green duck is a duckling which
has grown rapidly and marketed when
from eight to twelve weeks old, weigh
4 ing at that time from four and one
half TO six pounds. This rapid growth
is made possible by an abundance of
care and good feeding. The highest
prices for ducks are usually paid early
in the spring, but the demand is chief
" from the large cities. AS matter
Of fact, many farmers market their
ducks in the fall at q lower price a
bird than green ducks bring in the
spring.
S The Pellin breed of ducks is kept
/ almost exclusively by producers OF
StG@A AANhos Inc SAiilo Ill Z liza ~
make fairly good layers, are practi-
! cally nonsetters, and while not espe-
cially well adapted for the production
> of flesh, are listed in the heavy breeds
of ducks. The standard weights on
4 adult drake and duck are nine ant
I eight pounds each, respectively. They
are easily confined by low fences, ant
III sra cir Il
issue on q general farm or by tht
town poultry keeper
! Feeding Ducklings.
Ducks may be fed on the rations
recommended for chickens, but better
results are usually secured by feedin,
more green and vegetable feeds and +;
1 larger proportion of mash. Duckling
1 do not need feed until they are from
twenty-four to thirty-six hours old
I After this they should be fed for tn
~ first week five times day; after that
=, four times a day until they are two o
II three weeks old, and thereafter thre
II times daily until they are marketed
II The first ration should consist OF {:
II mixture which contains equal parts b,
measure of rolled oats and brca'
II crumbs, with 3 per cent of sharp SAM
mixed in the feed. When about tire
II days old. this feed is changed to equa
II parts of bread rolled oats, bran, ant
II cornmeal. After the first week the IA
II tion should be changed again to tire
II parts of bran, one part each of low
II grade wheat flour and cornmeal, L
H. per cent of green feed and 5 per cen
j Of beef scrap, with about 5 per cen
Of sand or grit. The amonnt of bee