The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-04-22
Mississippi Citv. Miss.


 Young ducks forced for rapid growth and marketed at from to 12 weeks of age are called green ducks. They weigh 1 from five to six pounds and are the prin- cinal source of income on commercial
 duck farms. The owner of a small flock
 of ducks will also find it profitable to crowd the growth of at lbast part of the Gucklings that he raises and market
 them at months of age.
 Ducklings do not need feed until they
 are from 24 to 36 hours old after which | they may be fed five times daily on a mixture of equal parts, by measure, or relied oats and bread crumbs, with per cent of sharp sand mixed in the feed. About the third day this feed is changed to equal parts bread, rolled oats, bran and cornmeal; then after the seventh day to parts of bran. part each of low grade wheat flour and of cornmeal, lO per cent of green feed and per cent of beef scraps, with about 3 per cent or sand or grit in all of the rations
 Feed four times daily after the seventh day until the ducklings are or B weeks old, when they need to be fed only three times daily. After the ducklings are l'week old the grit or sand may be fed either in the, mash or in hopper, but the common practice is to feed grit in all duck rations. Beef scraps is not usually fed until the ducks are week old. when about per cent is added to the ration, which amount is gradually increased 10 15 per cent by the end of the third week. From this time on gradually increase the proportion of cornmeal and decrease the bran until the ration becomes the fatten- l ing ration given below for those duck 1 lings which are to be marketed.
 For two weeks before killing the duck l! lings to be marketed should be fattened l on ration made of 3 parts, by weight, or ccrnmeal. 2 parts of low-grade flour or l middlngs, 1 part of bran. one-nalf part | of beef scrap, with per cent grit ana | 10 per cent green feed. Feed this mash | three times daily, or use a mash of 5 parts cornmeal, 1 part low-grade wheat | flour, 1 part bran, per cent beef scrap I and per cent oyster shell. with rne green feed and grit added.
 | The green feed is sometimes left out l of the ration during the last seven days 1 of fattening, as it tends to color the
 meat and many produce shgntly Ilappy . rather than firm flesh; however, 1t IS | easier to keep the duckiings in good l feeding condition on masn containing green feed Boiled fish may replace the | beef scrap, but should only be led up to within two weeks before they are Killed, as it may give a fshy taste to | tbeir flesh.
 Green ducks are marketed at from 8 to i,1e weeks of age according 10 their con dition and weight. Two or per cent ol l oyster shell is recommended in most lat 1 tening rations, but bone ash. ground or era cked bone. or bone meal would appear
 to be better mineral feeds to add to these mixtures. ,IfamillS is available at pron- 1 table feedingDprices, the rations recoms meuded for crate-fattened chickens would | give good results in fattening duekllngs pr roducing a well-bleached milk-fed green duck.
 | l Perhaps no article of diet of animal l origin is more commonly eaten in all | countries or served in greater Variety 1 of ways than eggs. Hens eggs are most l ccrmon. although the eggs of domestic poultry other than hens are sometimes l used Guinea eggs are eaten where they are readily obtained and are much prizeo | for their delicate flavor. Turkey eggs I are mild in flavor and are eaten to some
 extent, though they are usually too val