THE MANAGEMENT OF STOCK DUCKS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1715, 11 January 1905, Page 71 (Supplement)

THE MANAGEMENT OF STOCK DUCKS.

If it is healthy, we do not object to horse-flesh being used for stock ducks as well as young ones. When horseflesh is used it should be out up in small piece®, and thrown down to them. It is better not to mix it with the meal for the stock ducks, as it is very dry meat, and if it is mixed with the meal the ducks will frequently fetch it out and leave the latter in their troughs, or whatever they are fed in. In all eases where the meat is boiled for the ducks the water in

which it is boiled should be used for mixing up the meal, and in all cases during the winter it should be given them early in the morning, soon after daylight, as hot as they can eat it. They should be fed so that they can clear every particle of it up. The attendant will s>on know how much to mix, and when they leave any be sure and mix a smaller quantity next time.

Of course, where there is only, say, a drake and four ducks kept, it is rvell to use the refuse from the house for thorn, viz., scraps of' cold meat, fat, vegetables, pudding, potato parings, etc. These, should all be put in an old saucepan and boiled up together* then mixed with the meal. Ducks should be fed according to circumstances. There need not be a particle of anything wasted where there are ducks kept. Now we come to which are the best meals to use for the morning feed. This depends, of course, a great deal upon what is mixed with the meal. If there are a number of rich scraps, viz., meat, fat, etc., from the kitchen, then the meal does not require to bo ro mitritio'us. Sharps, which some people call thirds, with a little bailey meal and biscuit meal, is a good thing. It is always well, whenever meal is used, to add a little biscuit meal, as it helps to mix so much better, and prevents the mixture from being sticky. The biscuit meat should be soaked in hot water, or a little put in with the hot scraps does just as'well. Where' there' is but very little meat of any kind, it is well to have a mixture -of meal, viz., a little bone meal, oatmeal, and French buckwheat meal mixed with the sharps, middlings, or barley. Those who are able to make their own meal will do well to make a little change for their ducks at times. Whatever is mixed in the way of meals should not be mixed too soft, but rather dry, just so that the meal clings together, and there are no little pieces of dry flour. If so, that is a great waste. If it is mixed too wet it sticks to the duck's beak, and they do not like this. Wo always think that the best plan is to feed ducks from a trough, unless one lias a great deal of grass, and the food can be thrown down in a clean place on fresh ground every day, and even then the troughs are much the best when it is a very wet morning, as they prevent a good deal of waste. When the ducks are fed in troughs there need be no waste at all. If they do not quite finish their meal up, the trough® can be removed with their food in, so that they can finish it up at the next meal before they have anything else to eat. Green food is very necessary for stock duck®. Anything green can be cut up and given to them, but when cabbage leaves are thrown into them the thick stems should be cut up in small strips, then the ducks are able to swallow every particle. Later on in the spring lettuce is an excellent green food for them; in fact, nothing really comes amiss in the way of green food for ducks. Grass can be cut up short and thrown into them. Where they have a pond, it is a good thing to throw the grass in the pond. It must be cut short, if not it is apt to block the passage leading into the gizzard. When it is thrown in the water, and the ducks do not happen to eat it all up at once it keeps nice and green, and they appear to enjoy it so much more when they skim it off the top of the pond. During the winter, when green food is very scarce and dear, it is well to boil up a few turnips and mangoldwurtzeJs and mix them in their food. These are a very fair substitute for green food. Of course, any time there are any small potatoes they can always be boiled up and given alone or mixed in with the meal.

For the prochiction of eggs a little poultry powder will be found an excellent thing, and a small quantity of mustard can be used occasionally—half a teaspoonful for four ducks and a drake. The powders will help the production of eggs, and keep the ducks in perfect health, a® well as assist the digestion of their food and prevent them from getting very fat internally. Eggs cannot be produced during the winter months in such quantities without the powder being used; whilst we have always proved them to be very beneficial, and they really strengthen the organs of the body. N'ow, as regards grains for ducks, good wheat and French buckwheat ive find are the two best grains for use for stock ducks, and we give barley and some good oat® occasionally, but wheat and French buckwheat are our principal grains, and always the best—• that is to say, good sound oats which we give seldom, weigh less than 421 b to the bushel, wheat rarely less than 601 b to

the bushel, and French buckwheat not less than 541 b to the bushel, and the boldest barley we can get. In cola weather we boil grain two or three times a week for the ducks’ evening meal. Whenever it is boiled the water should be about 3in higher than the corn when it is put in, whether it is in a saucepan or copper. In this case the corn does not soak up quite all the water. Give it to the ducks just as it is, water and com together. It may be given warm, but not boiling. This helps the growth of the eggs very much. When the corn is given dry, or uncooked, for the evening meal, it should always be put in water. If the weather is cold, we put it in warm waiter; the ducks can eat it much better, and enjoy it much more when it is done in this way. The troughs come m very useful for this purpose. Grit for digestion should always be put in the troughs where their water or corn is put—the importance of the flint grit renders it necessary to have a chapter to itself. If ducks are fed this way during the winter months, and the stock are from a good laying strain, the owner will most likely get a good supply of eggs. During the warm weather, in the spring and summer, they do not require so much care in feeding; they are sure to lay them if they have sufficient food to eat, even if it i® not so good in quality. Twice a day is quite sufficient for laying or stock ducks to be fed. Feeding, as my readers will perhaps know, is one of the most important parts of duck-keeping; but it is not everything.—“ Farm and Field.”