POULTRY NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 285, 2 December 1938, Page 16

POULTRY NOTES.

GROWING DUCKLINGS.

NORMALLY EASY TO REAR.

Tn normal weather, ducklings are tlie easiest things to rear, not only I'M* per rent alive, hut with a very small percentage of culls or anything hut lirstelasft stock. They nutfer no disease to speak of —the exception perhaps being a type of "influenza" many growing flock's eontracted during the very cold, wet weather experienced last spring. Answering an S.O.S. in a case where 25 out of a hundred Khaki Campbell ducklings nearly a month old had died in a few days, the rest of the small flock were found in a netted pen about eight yards square on cultivated ground among young lemons. They looked small for their age and uneven in growth. Although they came forward as if hungry, crops were bulging; the ducklings' heads seemed big, with short bodies and hunched shoulders. A "field" post-mortem showed a perfectly healthy little body as far as was apparent to the eye—lungs very pink (they are discoloured in the "flu" mentioned above), crop, gizzard and intestines clean and empty of any compaction, or indeed any food. But it took (piite a little while to realise that all that ailed the small flock was that thev were starved.

The mash used was good enongh, although not very good. Equal parts of bran and pollard with 10 per cent meat meal had been fed at the rate of a bowlful three times a day, and only twice recently, as they thought the trouble was indigestion.

Actually, 100 ducklings at a month old will take a bucketful of mash six times in the 24 hours. In any case, a little more body in the mash would be better—a foundation of small boiled potatoes, curd, maize meal, oatmeal or wheatmeal. The trouble was greatly aggravated because the ducklings were not on range, which they could have had quite well. Also, under-feeding would have been less likely to occur if the breeder's advice to divide the ducklings into two, three or more flocks had been followed, because the owner would have realised more easily what a little food was being allowed for so many mouths. ' Broodies Afraid of Them.

Theoretically, the duck should be best for hatching ducklings if only on account of the fact that if she is near swimming water she will damp the nest each day by going for a swim just before she returns to the nest. But a broody duck will only sit on the nest she has made for herself, and any but Muscovies are apt to desert the job if even strange eggs are put in it. This limits the usefulness of the duck compared with a good broody hen, which will often hatch all the fertile duck eggs given her and cannot be bettered.

Otherwise excellent broody hens will not take Khaki Campbell duckling* to rear, although they will take chickens instead. The broodies are, in fact, frightened of the little Khakis, thinking them either rats or mice on account of their colour. The only way is to give the broody the ducklings at night, and without her seeing tliem. Then she is used to the feel of them before she sees them. In a ease where this had happened, the owner lost nearly half the brood, although "we filled up the range with coal every night and kept them in a box by the range." But ducklings need so very little warmth that these were probably far too warm and got chillcd in the morning. A breeder's day-old chick-box for the first few nights, and then a flat case on its side covered with an old blanket, is all that a couple of dozen ducklings peed for warmth when they are indoors as these were.

The laying mash for hens is fairly good, but ducks, in both the growing and laying atage, can make use of more protein than chicks and hens. Twelve per cent meat meal is none too much for heavy-laying ducks. In frost give them 15 per cerft. «ince they, can get nothing on their range. For the wwne reasons they must always have shell grit available.

ANSWERS TO COMKKSPONDKMTS. <».K.J. (Otahuhu). —The probability is that your birds are getting insufficient salt. Try including at least 1 per cent of salt in your maah formula. Your birda evidently have a plentiful supply of grit available, but it is important to see that a good part of it is ea«ily soluble and fairly finely ground.

E.K. (Glen Eden). —The following mash formula should serve your purpose— two parts of Australian pollard to one o$ bran, or four parts of Xew Zealand pollard to one of bran, an.l 10 pex cent •'by weight of meat meal, two of grit and one of salt. If you have plenty of skim milk available dry curd could be used to a large extent instead of the meat meal. •T.F. (Takapuna).—For the first three days a mash composed of hard boiled ejjg and-rolled oats finely mixed together with a little green feed. After the first three days use pollard mixed to a crumbly mash with milk. Feed at least four times daily until three weeks old then three time* I daily. The birds need plenty of open ground. I>ucka t Yon should allow about 10 square feet per nird. A good plan would be to devide your property into ■ n equal number of runs suitable for SO birds so that while one is in use the other may be "rested." Better results may be obtained if they are *hut in at night. <