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Show ' 1 LAYING HABITS OF DUCKS. If Handled Right They Will Lay Early In the Morning. Never Keep ducks shut up to lay: they will sometimes lay their eggs upon tho ground or drop them In tho water, which gives trouble In collect" Ing. and If theie are any carrion crows or even rooks In the neighborhood, neighbor-hood, they will bo theie before you, nnd the eggs will ho destroyed, -which certainly Is a loss, suh William Vy gott. an English duck ralsor. Hut breeding ducks hate cotilluomont, and If let out regularly from six to seven a. in. you will find their eggs, as n rule, laid on the lloor of the houso about that time, and n far greater quantity of eggs will bo secured dill ing the season 1 adopting this plan rathor than keeping tho birds con-lined con-lined until late hours. I may also add hoie that If jou can safely leave Me diickx out until dusk In the evening It Is bolter to do so, as the birds liml more natural food worms, etc., which are finite a necessity to bleeding ducks during tho early mornings and late evenings than any other part of the day. An experienced attendant can tell In n moment by bundling each duck any that nio carrying car-rying an egg, anil the bird can be watched, or the first feed could bo left until later, when tlioy would io-turn io-turn for the meal, and bo confined for awhile. Sometimes ducks get egg. bound, and have been known to carry the oRgs for several days, and eventually eventu-ally die. If tnkeii in tho first stages, a pinch or Epsom salts In n small pellet pel-let given to the bird will reduco tho Inflammation of the ovnrles. and the egg can bo laid; occasionally n second and even u thliil. dosu wilt have to bo administered (given once n day) before be-fore the egg Is laid. In fact. I once had a duck Iny three eggs In ono day. tho last being a soft-shelled egg. and the llrst like cement, having been enr rled four days. As a rule. It Is during the early stages that ducks lay their orrs carelessly nbout and drop them In wnter. Later on In the season they will make a nest In the IioiIro row, or aniotiR nettles, Bometlines In tho stable or duck' house, nnd It Is quite safe to leave tho bird lo nature, removing re-moving the eggs at lelsum. |