Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-31
CARING FOR THE HOME FLOCK
BY HI. w. RICKEY,
Poultry Specialist. Maryland State COLLEGE,

water for bathing is not a necessity,
as has been shown time and again
on successfully managed duck ranches.
the owners of which furnish their
fowls. both young and old. with
drinking water only. Many poultry
men. however, feel confident that the
fertility of the egg is improved when
the mated fowls have the run of
ponds and running streams. Such
oooles of water also supply additional
Iooostuhs such small fish. shell
nsh. crabs and the usual worms and
Snalls found in and about the water,
ana Tor this reason on farms border
ing rivers. creeks and bays the matter
of food supply and food costs is
greatly simplified. The drinking water
should not be put in hallow pans, as
the water must be sufficient depth to
permit a thorough cleansing of the
nostrils of sand and dirt Some ar
rangement must be made to prevent
the bathing of ducks in the drinking
water. as it should be kept as free
as possible from filth and dirt A
large stone placed in the center of
the pan and extending a little above
the surface of the water, leaving
only space enough between the edges
of the stone and the side of the pan
to allow the fowls to drink freely,
VIII answer the purpose. The COM
mercial or homemade drinking foun-
tain consisting of an inverted can in
a pan is valuable appliance and is
used on many large plants
In spite of all precautions ducks
have way of stopping the water out
OF the drinking vessels. The sur
rounding soil soon becomes wet.
muddy and filthy. fit place for thu
breeding of disease producing organ
lsms. Such condition should not be
allowed to exist. 1t may be prevented
by digging shallow pit and covering
1t with heavy fine-mesh wire. On the
wire is placed the pan or drinking
fountain. so that the waste water falls
into the pit By moving the pan occa-
sionally and exposing the pit to the
full rays of the sun. drying it out and
then sprinkling air-slacked lime over
the bottom and sides and on the sur
face of the soil surrounding the pit,
proper sanitation may be obtained and
maintained indefinitely.
After the fowls are mated and the
season advances into winter, with a
corresponding decrease in the supply
OF natural foodStuffs, more meat food
must be fed to take place of the bugs
and worms. and green feed must be
fed in abundance. For breeding ducks
during the cold weather / would suY-
eest the following mash mixture:
= y GU pouHoS VI Wnedl pfan,
200 pounds of wheat middlings. 100
pounds of gluten meal. 100 pounds of
corn meal and 125 pounds of meat
scrap moistened with water, and fed
in trough twice a day. at the rate of
ten pounds weighed before the water
is added) for every thirty birds at
each feeding. In addition to this feed
one of the scratch mixtures as given
above. Should the eggs show low fer
tility, increase somewhat the scratch
feed and decrease the mash in proper
tion.
Young ducklings require about the
same kinds of feeds as young chick
ems and they should not be fed until
they are from thirty to thirty-six
hours old. All that is needed for the
first days feeding is a mixture of
rolled oats and bread crumbs. with
per cent sand moistened with skim
milk or water and fed five times daily.
If rolled oats cannot be had the bread
may be used alone for several days.
On the second day an equal part of
bran should be added to the bread
crumbs and rolled oats. and on the
third day per cent of finely ground
meat scrap. one part of corn meal
as chopped lettuce, cabbage, scalded
clover or alfalfa should be made of
the ration. After ten days of this
feeding. the mash may be changed
dlings. one and one-half part of corn
meal and one part of meat scrap.
with per cent sand or fine grit. and
fed four times a day. Green food may
be chopped fine and fed in the mash
or it may be thrown to the ducklings
in bulk either once or twice day
and about as much as the duck will
clean up within a reasonable time.
Never permit food of any kind to lie
about on the ground. Do not expose
a CT m a m
stagnant puddles or pools of water
in the runs. The combined effects of
prolonged exposure to the hot sun
and the drinking of and the bathing
or swimming in stagnant water often
proves fatal.