POULTRY INDUSTRY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21763, 31 March 1934, Page 18

POULTRY INDUSTRY

BT TTTILITT

EGGS IN AUTUMN f DUCKS REPLACE FOWLS i - >.< ' 1

It often happens, particularly in a >et autumn, that ducks fill the gap in the supply of eggs between the stopping of old liens in order to moult and the young pullets beginning to lay, but this year this has not taken place. It is very evident, from the experience in the various egg-laving competition, that ducks can be induced to lay regularly during the autumn, for a good proportion of them do 'hoft miss A/day for several weeks, although they have no help from the unlimited range at the disposal of the ducks kept on an ordinary farm. Tho natural conditions / that .ire conducive to steady and constant laying are supplied almost artificially, and they prove successful, suggesting that on a farm it ought to be even easier to obtain a regular supply. Plenty of Food and Exercise

The first essential, without which it would be useless to expect steady laying, is a ilock of ducks produced from the right strain of one of the specially

good breeds of layers; for instance, Indian Runners or Khaki Campbells. These must be reared in tho natural wav that allows them to take plenty

of, exercise and get such a variety of food as will build up a sound constitution. With this as a basis, the rest depends on feeding and general attention.

.Unlike hens, which thrive and lay well on a diet which includes a large proportion of grain, .-ducks do much Detter if their food consists largely of wet mash, with very little grain. As with fowls, opinions differ as to whether they do best with grain in the morning* and mash in the, evening, or vice versa, for no 4 trials have established the superiority of either, way. ' For

ducks 011. free range it will probably be / found preferable to give them the mash in the morning, and a little grain -when they are being penned up for the night. f At whatever time "they are fed with giain, it is better to put it in their drinking vessels, filled at the time with sufficient clean water for them to completely immerse their heads, for that is the surest way to keep their nostrils open and clean, and also to avoid the possibility of picking up dust or soiled earth. Ducks are not so dainty as

fowls in picking up grain, and if it is thrown on the ground in their yard they are sure to shovel up all sorts of impurities while scooping up the grain in their clumsy way. . The mash may contain far more green stuff than it is advisable to force xipcn fowls, and those who keep a large enough number of birds will bo well advised to procure a small ehaffcutter to Cut tip all kinds of edible greens. Grit and Water for Ducks; Ducks can get away with more grit than fowls, but sometimes pick up some very rough material. The best safeguard is a heap of broken shells, the kind used on footpaths to cover the tar, for this mixture includes a good * ariety of shells, besides usually having a small proportion of sand and gravel. Ducks are rather partial to gravel, aijd will swallow volcanic scoria and oidinary broken road metal, if it is small enough. Apparently they require this variety, for when they do not get it they have been known to swallow nails and tacks, and even staples. Drinking water ought to be easy enough to supply, although experience establishes the fact that ducks can do without swimming Mater. They can give their plumage all the water it requires during showers of rain, and they nt-ver miss the chance to do this, for they thoroughly enjoy straightening out their feathers during a shower. The birds are also able to wash themselves by splashing their drinking water over their backs if they have plenty of drinking water in a deep vessel. One precaution must not be overlooked: ducks must not be suddenly yarded after being on free range with swimming water. If they have had access to this, until they are old enough to lay, the best plan is to gradually curtail their liberty for certain hours of. the day, and then, they will soon learn to be independent of their former swimming water. Shelter Needed It is quite a mistake to suppose that ducks will thrive and lay well if they are merely shut up at night in the corner of a paddock, with a wire-net-ting fence. Although they like being out in the rain, they must have a shel-tered-house, thoroughly dry, to which they can retire at will. Tliis need not be a high and costly structure, for one side may he quite open, and this will keep it- just as well ventilated and fresh as if it was twice as high, but it must, be dry, and the surest way to keep it dry, if it is on level ground, is to slope the floor. Shelter from the hot sun is equally important, for ducks are more sensitive to heat than fowls, and their yard must bo- so planned that at any hour of the day they can obtain shelter. It is not very important what bedding is provided, and each farmer must learn for himself what available material is most easily gathered and removed, and is most serviceable in keeping the floor perfectly dry. All the other points, however, must be carefully watched if success is to he achieved, for when ducks fail to lay in the autumn the fault can usually bo traced to indifferent treatment.