HYBRID TABLE DUCKS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6487, 16 May 1899, Page 4

HYBRID TABLE DUCKS.

A correspondent, writing • from Brussels to " The. Field," expatiates largely oni the advantages resulting from cross-breeding Muscovy and Rouen ducks, which, she maintains, gives a race superior in quality to the Aylesbury, and equal to it in size. This lady writes as follows : — "It is now proposed to breed -from the Muscovy duck and -'the Rouen. At a recent poultry exhibition, held at Alost, some specimens of the mule birds, the result of this crossing, wesre shown, and so much appreciated that the raising of such ducks is being freely undertaken, and will, it is believed, result in great profit to the farmers. This breed has Hong been raised in the' south of France, where it has replaced; to a great extent, the ordinary white duck. At Pau the ducklings of this cross are reared in great quantities, on© woman bringing to market as many *as 200. These birds increase most rapidly in size, owing to their voracious appetite, and they lay on fat in a most remarkable manner, while, thanks to the size their livers attain, and their. , delicacy of flavour, they command -the highest price in the market. The country people pot the fat and use it during the winter instead of butter. A specialist on such subjects, M. Van Der Snickt (who has been investigating the matter for the Belgian' poultry farmers), says the ducklings should be chosen with a long neck, long and large body, and small head. They should be specially fed. Until: the egg-producing time arrives, they should be nourished with bran and a little vegetable, and once a day with wholemeal. Their diet must be generous and light. Later, the bran should be gradually diminished, and oatmeal substituted with minced meat, as well as different sorts of grain. Cabbage, this expert recommends as a good vegetable to employ, being always in season. " The birds obtained by this cross of Mus-. covy and Rouen are very large, light on the wfng< and ; veiy active, perching easily on fences, or in trees,, where they prefer to spend the night: Poultry farming in England is not yet at such a point of perfection that we can afford to; scorn to take a hint from our neighbours across the Channel, and our poultry-breeders might do worse than turn their attention to the consideration of the advantages to be gained by am admixture of a strain of Muscovy with ; Rouen or Aylesbury ducks. The Belgians are a practical and industrious people, arid when sthey. adopt or adapt a new industry it is because they see in it the -prospects' .of gain, and while we shall be glad to reward their .perseverance by importing their ducks, we shouH 'much prefer to be able to buy the same delicacy at home, and so put the money in the pockets of our own countrymen and women." From . personal experience we ("Thr Field") can endorse the statement' of this lady as to the frequency with which this cross is raised in the south of France. In the Medoo and near Bordeaux it is exceedingly common to see , the large Muscovy drakes in the farmyards wiM; ordinary ducks of no special variety. Ihe produce are, as our correspondent says, large, hardy, and come early to maturity, and, . we may presume, fetch good prices in the markets, as they are so generally bred. But it must not be forgotten that these birds are sterile mules. The Muscovy duck belongs to a totally distinct genus of water, fowl from our ordinary domestic breed. It is a native of South America, and, although bred for many .years as a domestic bird, differs very widely from our common species. The male is characterised by its being much larger than the female. It has also a large red face, and is rather aggressive to other birds. The progeny, between it and the domestic duck is not a mongrel variety, like the cross vbetween the Rouen arid the Aylesbury or Pekin, but a hybrid which is' not fertile, and therefore all the offspring should.be killed for the table. We do not think the plan of feeding advised by M. Van Der Snickt' equal- to that pursued by our Aylesbury feeders, who take the young' ducks and real 1 them, not with, bran or much vegetable, but with meal and meat. Mr Fowler, of Aylesbury, one of the most experienced of duck rearers, writing respecting the feeding of the tons of ducks that are sent up to . London ' from the Aylesbury district in the spring, .summarises the treatment by saying -. " They are not allowed to go into any . water, but are kept in hovels or the rooms of the cottages, each lot of thirty or forty separated by low boards. It is no uncommon thing to see 2000 or 3000 all in one establishment. They are kept very clean and dry on barley straw, their food consists of hard-boiled eggs chopped fine and mixed with boiled rice and bullock's liver cut up small. This is given to them several times in the day for about a fortnight or more. When they are capable of consuming mpre, they are fed on barley meal and' tallow', greayes mixed together with the water in which the greaves have previously been t boiled. My poultryman also uses horse flesh to mix up with their other food " i The so-called Muscovy duck is a nativ c "of" South and Central America. The wild . birds, which do not exhibit the variations ! of plumage shown :n those which are domesticated, always roost in trees, resorting to the same branches night after night. They usually nest in a hole in a large tree at some distance from the ground, and seek their food 'not only in the rivers, but by . resorting to the maizs arid cornfields do'ng soms considerable damage.- Miss Rose Hubbard, in her useful work on " Ornamental . WaterfpwH," published in 1888, says:— "The Muscovy is somewhat savage in disposition; and will attack and bite most sharply, especially during the breeding season. It grazes a great deal often remaining for hours on land, and occasionally perching upon , trees, the wings being very long and powerful. The female is an indifferent layer, and usually ' steals ' her nest in a tuft of rush es or gome distance removed irom the water. The wild bird is nearly ■ jet black, the only white in the plumage being a few feathers about the head and upper wmgrcoverts ; the l egs are black; a long curved crest- adorning the : head." j a ' ' - — ■ - Coughs and Cold 3 are overcome By Spencer Vincent's Benjamin Giim The coM weather is approaching, and p ™" j tions should be taken to ward off coughs S colds. Thia can be done cent's Benjamin Gum a sure preventive and ■ cure of coughs and cold 9 . Price i s 6d and 2s 6q, ,■ _ ■ . - ' • !