Part 5

History.--The Crested White duck (fig. 8) is what may be called an ornamental duck, much the same as Polish chickens. They are not bred to any great extent in this country, and they are very seldom seen in the showrooms. They have no especial value to the farmer, as better and more easily-bred birds are to be found in the Pekin and Aylesbury.

=Description.=--These ducks have a medium-sized head; medium-sized bill; a large, well-balanced crest upon the crown of the head; a rather long neck; a medium-length back; breast, round and full; body, round and of medium length; medium-length wings that smoothly fold; hard, stiff tail feathers, with well-curled feathers in the tail of drake; and short and stout thighs and shanks. Their eyes are large and bright and of a deep leaden blue or gray color. The shanks, toes, and webs are of a light-orange color.

=Weight.=--The standard weight of the adult drake is 7 pounds; adult duck, 6 pounds; young drake, 6 pounds, and young duck, 5 pounds.

MANAGEMENT OF DUCKS.

Duck raising has been developed within the last ten years into a flourishing industry. Prior to that time the duck was not considered a profitable fowl to raise; its flesh was never prized very highly by the masses. Ducks were raised without constraint in waterways, feeding mostly on fish and water insects. This food gave the flesh a strong fishy flavor; hence it was not particularly sought after, save by the few who were partial to that class of diet. The duck centers of Long Island and New England were then producing a limited number each season, and it was with difficulty that these were sold with any profit. In fact, one of the most prominent duck raisers may be quoted as saying that he was obliged to visit the city markets personally and tease the dealers to purchase his birds, in order to secure anything like satisfactory prices.

Artificial incubation and brooding, combined with judicious feeding, have been instrumental in the development of the industry. Machinery has enabled the duck raiser to accomplish his ambition of having his stock in the markets when prices are the best, and also of raising large numbers of birds in a limited space of time. The season for raising ducks is about six months--from February to July. The methods employed by the most successful raisers will be given in this bulletin, and the most approved buildings, appliances, feeding, and care will be treated in detail.

Duck raising is to be recommended to farmers as a profitable source of revenue; and by careful attention to the work, as knowledge increases, the scope of the industry may be extended. There are numbers of farms in this country to-day that are devoted exclusively to raising ducks, averaging from 5,000 to 20,000 ducks as an annual output. An idea of the proportions of the business may be had from the fact that as high as three tons of feed are used daily by a single raiser during the busy season. The profits are the very best, and good incomes may be made when once the business is thoroughly mastered. But the reader should not jump imprudently to the conclusion that these results can be easily obtained. Duck raising is an arduous task; one that requires an apprenticeship and absolute knowledge of the business before success is reached. Those who have been successful in raising ducks have learned the business much as one does any other vocation. The beginner should start modestly, and increase his plant as his knowledge of the work increases. The average farmer has all the facilities for raising a goodly number of ducks, and may with a little outlay add considerably to his income.

It is not at all necessary that ducks should have access to water to be raised successfully; they grow and thrive as readily without. There are successful plants where thousands of ducks are raised that have no water, save that which is given them as drink. It has been a matter of much dispute which is the better way. Some duck raisers use water and allow their breeders the freedom of it; some allow their growing stock intended for market free access to water until they are eight weeks old, when they are penned and fattened for market. On the other hand, there are raisers who have no water on their farms, excepting wells, who are just as successful and raise as many birds as those who have the water. The only noticeable difference between "upland" and "water" ducks is that the latter are of prettier and cleaner plumage than the former.

STARTING A PLANT.

A duck plant should be located on a line of railroad in direct communication with the city markets, and not too far from the station. Almost any location will do for the plant, and worn-out land, that can be had cheap, will do as well as the richer and more fertile land costing several times as much. Sandy sod is to be preferred. The buildings should be arranged to secure good drainage and be convenient to each other, that labor may be reduced to a minimum. The labor attached to raising poultry is an item that is overlooked by many, and the cost of it often reduces very notably the earnings of the plant.

Every department of the plant should be so located as to economize the time of the attendants. The incubator cellar should be convenient to the brooder house, the brooder house to the growing house and pens, and these to the killing house. The feed house should be located conveniently to the brooder and growing houses and the breeding pens. The task of feeding the growing stock four times a day and the breeding stock twice a day is no small one. Watering is also to be thought about.

The exact arrangement of a plant suited to all locations can not be given, as each locality differs from others in some respect, and what may be suitable for one will hardly do for the other. The plans of no two of the largest plants are alike. They differ in location of the buildings to suit the lay of the land; but they all have the same general idea of the convenience of each building to the others. Illustration of this will be seen in fig. 9. When laying out a plant, make provisions for future enlargement; allow plenty of room on all sides to extend the buildings without rendering inconvenient the work that will be necessary to attend to the additional stock.

BUILDINGS FOR BREEDING DUCKS.

Houses for ducks are single affairs. They are built plain and comfortable, and have no furnishings whatever. A duck is differently constituted from a hen, and must be cared for under different conditions. The hen needs warmer houses and drier surroundings than does the duck. A duck does not mind the cold, if she can keep her feet warm; cold feet will affect a duck as a frozen comb does a hen, retarding laying and inducing ailments. The feathers of a duck are almost impenetrable and will withstand almost any degree of cold. Again, a duck can not stand the amount of confinement in a house that a hen can; she is more restless in disposition and is given to exercise in a greater degree than is a hen. Indigestion is not so prevalent with ducks as with chickens; the duck's ceaseless motion aids the digestive organs and keeps her generally in good health.

In fig. 10 is shown a simple house that may be built at small expense. It is plain and has a shed roof. Such a house should be built of rough boards, 12 inches by 1 inch, and joints covered by 3-inch by 1-inch strips. The roof should be made water-tight and covered with tarred paper, shingles, or tin. The outside should be well drained around the bottom, that it may not be damp. Some advocate board floors, raised from 6 to 8 inches from the ground and covered from 4 to 6 inches with dry earth, straw, or leaves. The writer favors the using of board floors in all houses for chickens, but thinks it not essential for ducks. If the house is well drained on the outside and the earth floor is covered with hay, straw, or leaves, it will be perfectly satisfactory. There must not be dampness in the house, as the birds will not do so well; while they are given to water on the outside they must have comfortable quarters in which to "warm up," or "dry out."

The building shown in fig. 10 may be constructed of any dimensions desired, according to the size of flock to be kept. A house 12 by 14 feet will accommodate nicely a flock of a dozen. There are no interior arrangements whatever, simply the floor surface of the building. It is better not to use nests. Some raisers use a plain nest, as shown in fig. 11. These nests are made of 1-inch boards, 12 inches high and 16 inches long, set 14 inches apart, and held together in front with a 3-inch strip. The nests are nailed to the back of the house. But more than half the eggs are laid on the floor of the house or in the yard, and, if permitted, a duck will build herself a nest to her liking. Again, a duck is liable to injure herself by falling over the strips in front of nests or other obstructions that may be in the house. In fig. 12 is shown the nest of a wild duck.

When two or more breeding pens are to be kept, the plan of the house shown in fig. 10 may be extended to any length desired, as shown in fig. 13. In figs. 14 and 15 are shown two more designs of duck houses, which are practical and cheap, and may be built singly or in rows for a number of pens. Either of these houses, and also that shown in fig. 10, make excellent breeding houses for the farmer to keep ducks in. An inclosure should be given the breeding ducks, as they do better confined than when at liberty. Give plenty of room and inclose the run with 2-inch wire mesh 2 feet wide. If water is accessible, it should be inclosed by the mesh-wire fencing of the same width as for the run. In fig. 16 is shown a duck house with water runs, and also the arrangement of wire runs in the water. This is an admirable plan for farmers who have running water on their farms.

BROODING HOUSES.

The general construction of a brooder house is similar to that of the breeding house, and differs only in interior arrangements. The latter has no interior arrangements whatever, while the former has the system of heating and covers necessary for giving warmth to the young stock. In fig. 17 is shown a design of single-brooder house and ground plan that is generally used by duck raisers. This house should be built upon a good foundation and be entirely proof against rats. A good plan is to sink half-inch wire mesh about 2 feet in the ground and around the entire inside of the building; this will make it perfectly secure against rats and mice.

The accepted plan of a brooder house makes it 15 feet wide and as long as desired. The building is 4 feet high in front and 5 feet in rear.

GROUND PLAN.

It is divided into pens 12 feet long and 6 feet wide, and has a 3 foot passageway extending the entire length of the building. The ground plan (fig. 17) shows the general arrangement of the interior and location of the brooders.

The brooder box is next to the passageway, or walk, and runs the entire length of the building. This box is 30 inches wide and 8 inches high; the sides are 7 inches high and nailed securely; the top of the cover is nailed across with cleats to make it substantial, and the cover has an inch strip nailed underneath in front and back to keep it in position. These strips rest against the 7-inch sides and make the brooder snug and tight when closed. The heating pipes are directly beneath the cover and are 2-inch pipes, flow and return. Some prefer 1-inch pipes, using two flows and two returns. When three pipes are used they should be about 8 inches apart from center to center. These pipes rest on the partition boards of the pens. The front of the brooder, leading into the pens, is cut out in the center about 4 inches deep and 4 feet long (fig. 18, A), while the ends and the other side are solid, being 7 inches high. The construction of the brooder is clearly shown in fig. 18, B, with cover removed, while fig. 18, C, shows cover. The heater is located at the end of building.

Another plan of brooder house is that shown in fig. 19. This house is known as a double brooder house, with walk in the center and pens on either side, and with heater at the end. Many prefer this plan to the single brooder house, as the care and attention required for the youngsters is much less and the cost of heating is reduced, one heater being sufficient for both lines of pipes. Then, again, this latter plan shortens the length of the building by one-half and makes the work more concentrated. The arrangement of the interior is the same as that of the single brooder house.

The plans of brooder houses, as given above, are for ducklings from the time they are taken from the machines until they are ready for the cold brooder, or growing house. The young ducklings, when taken from the nest or incubator, are very delicate and susceptible to the changes of the atmosphere; they must be kept very warm and free from chilling. The first three weeks of a duckling's life is the most critical period, and after that time the liabilities of loss are reduced to a very low rate--hardly five to the hundred. The front of brooders for young ducklings should be hung with strips of woolen cloth to keep in the warmth of the brooder. The greatest care should be given them at this period; the duck raisers really consider it the most important part of their work, and after a bird has passed the "critical age" they may be counted on for the market.

Usually the care of the ducklings at this age is given to the women. They are more careful of the wants of the youngsters and attend to the detail work religiously. A case is known of a single attendant living, as it were, in the brooder house with the ducklings. She began her work with the morning feed at 6 a. m., and until sundown, when the night's meal was given, she was with her charges. The cleanliness of the brooder and pen was carefully attended to and everything was done to promote the health and comfort of the youngsters. At night they were all in their brooders and as snug as it was possible for them to be. A single neglect in the starting of a duckling will result in loss to the raisers. System is the key to the situation, and there should be no deviation from it whatever.

The duckling goes from the warm brooder house to the cold brooder house. The latter house is planned in a way similar to the former, with the exception of the 30-inch brooders. When the birds are taken from the warm brooder house they are three weeks old and of sufficient age to withstand a cooler temperature. They do not need the extra heat of the warm house, and in it would not grow nearly so well. The size of pens in the growing house is larger, and the ducklings are not crowded so many in a pen. If the birds are to be raised in colonies of one hundred each, the accommodations should be ample for them. It has never been proved to be good policy to crowd the growing stock; it retards their growth and encourages disease.

The cold brooder house should have a system of heating if birds are to be raised for an early market. The same system of pipes used in the warm brooders should be run around the sides of the building, about 2 or 3 feet from the floor. This will give sufficient heat for the house and keep the birds comfortable. These pipes may be connected with the same heater used for running the warm brooder pipes. In the Northern States, in extremely cold weather, raisers also use the heating pipes in the warm brooder house in addition to the cold brooder pipes.