Show r SUCCESS IN RAISING DUCKS one of first essentials Is to have quarters dry and clean keep old and young separate by ANNA GALIGHER ducks anas sleep on the tile floor or on the ground therefore all such places should be as clean and dry as possible keep the floors covered with clean litter or straw and change it every day or as often as necessary it if a large number are housed to gether once a day Is none too often keep old and young separate and don t keep ducklings duc klings of different sizes together the larger ones will abuse the smaller ones especially at feed ing time it Is best to keep not more than 35 in ta a flock as they grow taster faster than when a large number are kept together pekin ducks that have been well fed and care cared d for through the winter will usually begin laying very early in the spring sometimes before the cold weather Is over ours used to begin about the last week in february but it la Is difficult to keep the eggs from getting chilled when they begin begia to lay so early and besides the first few eggs a pekin lays each season will not hatch batch it if the weather is not too cold march Is about the proper time to begin sav ing the eggs remember they will not kep in condition very long wrap each egg in paper and keep beep in a cool pla place ce 50 60 to 60 degrees is about right and turn every day until placed for hatching these directions should be observed in caring eating for other eggs it incubators are used the duck lings will be very thirsty after they are hatched open the outside door 91 4 A A bad arrangement TOP for a duck house and look through the glass once in a while if they are too warm they will be panting with their mouths open they should be removed at once and given a drink of tepid water it if the air is cold they should be placed in a brooder as soon as taken from the incubator be sure to have the brooder properly regulated the temperature should be be about 90 at first keep the bentila tora tors in operation all the time and lower the temperature as the duck lings get older when two weeks old 75 degrees will be warm enough when tour four weeks old they need not be kept in a brooder at night it if they have a comfortable bouse house to sleep in dont don t overcrowd or overheat in brooders broaders bro oders the first feed for the ducklings duc klings Is dry bread soaked in sweet skim milk or water ron pont t let it soak too long or it will get gummy and that is what hat ducks do not like 1 they cannot gr will not eat stick sticky feed they simply shake it out of their mouths I 1 and then it is wasted asted old ducks do the same thing place some clean water beside the teed feed each time cold w ater w ill do when the ducklings duc klings klinge grow older some coarse clean sand should ba be placed in the water each time or in some shallow vessel near the teed feed oz 01 water they need both grit and water while eating but do not add sand or any other grit to the feed don t confine ducks to one kind of feed they like a variety never give young ducks milk milli to drink they N will ill smear their heads with it and become very messy corn bread is very good tor for young ducks but it is very fattening we never feed raw mixtures to newly hatched ducks they wil will eat raw food of course but it will sometimes cause bowel trouble too much milk will ill sometimes causi cause it also green food is essential from the start it if there is plenty of grass in the yard that will do although they like it best when it la Is added to theli grain food we use green closer cloer green rye cabbage dandelions onion tops etc grren green oats fro are also good for this pur pose all should be cut small enough tor or growing ducks to eat with ease we do not often begin feeding raw ravi mixtures until the ducks are several weeks old although some green stub Is added onca once or twice a day the pekin ducks should be fed foul or five times a day from the time the are hatched until ready tor for market the best time to sell ducks is whet from 10 to 14 weeks old at this ag they should weigh anywhere from foul to seven pounds each I 1 v eggs fop for hatching in getting eggs for hatching pur poses try to select them from thi strongest bird birds |