| Show FEW MISTAKEN IDEAS IN RAISING DUCKS IS 5 4 ati 1 w 3 im mill purebred pure bred indian runner ducks the kind that require but little water and stand up well on their lo lego 10 dy by ANNA wo we have raised ducks for or a number of years and find that they are easy to td raise when one ona knows how but it la Is safe to say a ay that not moro more than ono one poultry ralser raiser la in every five thousand thoroughly understands duck raising few beginners stay with the bustness business long enough to learn they start la in by guess so to speak and give giro up in disgust at the end of the first beacon some people try to ralso raise ducklings duc klings on whole wheat cracked corn etc others insist that ducks of all ages must have a swimming pool this Is all wrong begin by providing good shelter for tho the ducklings duc klings before they are hatched tho the houses bouses need not bo be very expensive but they must have good roots roofs and floors colony houses are best because it Is not advis advisable ablo to keep large numbers together it ducklings duc klings of different sizes aro are kept in the same earno yards tho smaller ones onea are sure sura to suffer cutter never keep more than 35 young ducks in the samo same house if the houses bouses aro are very small 16 15 will be enough but when building tho the duck houses it la is a good plan to have hare them built largo enough to be used for sheltering tho the layers in the winter if necessary nece esary ordinary coops such ouch as those used by tho the average farmer for a hen and chickens have no place in the duck raising business such coops can ti neither elther be kept dry or clean needless to may cay they aro are not suitable tor for any other coultry in cool damp weather they are little short of or death traps have a separate yard for each lot of ducklings duc klings it if they areto havo have freo free range after the first few weeks tho the yards need not be very large tho ducklings duc klings cannot fly therefore it Is not necessary nece esary to havo have high fences poul 1 the first swimming lesson try netting will answer far the old and young the ducklings duc klings cannot get over an 18 inch fence but in buying netting it la Is not advisable to select the narrow variety because a fence that will turn the young ducks may not be ba high enough to confine the old ones it needed for that purpose at some future time As aa a rule wo we use the 24 inch close mesh netting with a six inch board at tho the bottom to keep the little duc ducklings klings from trying to get through this fence la is high enough to turn the old birds also if ono one must economize on lumber when building tho the houses they can bo billt low about seven feet or just high enough for one to walk through tila of course la Is not necessary it they are small but in that case one side should be ba open or enclosed in such buch a way as to allow tho floors to be cleaned eastly easily the hiie houses should bo be close enough to be comfortable but not airtight air tight hicks need plenty of fresh air especially in the hot weather keep the louses clean dry and well ventilated floors should bo dry and well covered with straw or clean litter never uso use adust iw wd dust the floor covering should be changed often ducks sit elt on tho the floor at night find and tho the bedding soon eoon gets badly sailed As a rule I 1 clean the floors every other day dar in ia summer and if there to Is any dampness tho the floors are allowed to dry before fresh litter Is put on we se sometimes scatter fine due ashes over the floor to absorb the moisture always remove the ashes before the bedding Is put on tho the floor it these rules are followed thero there will bo no roup among your ducklings duc klings pro viding other conditions are right neither the pekin nor the indian runner ducks require a stream or pond to swim in A great many peo plo pie insists that ducks of all kinds require a swimming pool right hero is whore they fall down in cas 0 there la Is no pond at hand band a substitute Is forthwith provided an excavation Is mods made in the ground and then filled with water and often no other water is provided it soon eoon becomes a foul puddle and the result can be imagined of courso course the tha ducklings duc klings soon begin dying off and continue to do so until tow it if any are ara left ducks are naturally very healt heal hyc thyr if properly cared for they will be free frea from disease and will grow very fast they never have lice however Ilo wever it la Is not advisable to keep heep ducks and other poultry together not even with geese in tact fact two varieties of ducks will not thrive when put together it pekin and indian runner ducklings duc klings are fed together the litter latter will bo be sure bure to got get the worst of it and it Is the same with tho the older birds all varieties of ducks require about the same earno kind of food but somo some require more than others tho pekin Is a market duck while tho the indian runner la Is usually raised tor for egg production however were thero are always some borne culls culla and surplus drakes that one has to dispose of and these when fiti fat bring good prices in the tha marev market there are two wilra waya 0 of ing ducks from the drakes drahei namely the voice or qua quack clel and tho the feathers jn in the tall the voice of the duck Is loud and ana coarse while that of the drako drake to la fallier rather smooth and less loud drakes have a few curled feathers in their talla tails when afien ma matured turid duck eggs hatch batch in incubators thi the eggs have clear shells and are easily tested we test all of our eggs no matter whether placed in incubators incubator a or under hens 1 be very careful in the ino wor wonc k as aa it la Is difficult for a beginner to tell whether an egg la is good or bad at a certain stage during incubation a perfectly good duck egg presents a very queer appearance to the novice when held before a strong light the shell appears to be halt half empty dont got get excited and throw the egg away it you do the chances are that you will destroy a duckling ordinary chicken hens hena can bo be used for hatching duck eggs it if the weather Is cool it Is best to leave the hen with the ducklings duc klings for several weeks ducklings Duc klings get along nicely in brood ors ore but they should only be kept there at night and at intervals during the day when young all brooders broaders bro oders should debould be placed in a building or under cover for reasons ducklings Duc klings soon outgrow a brooder after tho the first few weeks they can get along without artificial heat beat kee keat the brooders broaders bro oders clean and thoroughly ventilated ti dont overcrowd large numbers oi young fowl are killed by this avor crowding and poor ventilation spring and early summer bummer la Is the best besl time to hatch batch ducks the begin beginner nei who tries to raise ducks in the usually makes a failure of it there Is no advantage advant aga in hat hatching chins bucklin ducklings duc klings ga I 1 in n w winter int e r e except where the market offers special inducements jin IB the way of fancy prices use judg ment meat always duck eggs require about tour four weeks to hatch when hatched batched the ducklings duc klings should bo be removed from tho the nest or oi incubator and put lao into a brooder or 0 near the tha kitchen stove until all are ara hatched give no food until at least 24 hours old they will eat almost as soon an aa hat hatched ched it if food la Is offered olf cred but it Is not liol advisable to allow them to do so BO Ilo however wever wo we always give our duck lings tepid water to drink from the start |
