Oklahoma Farmer (Guthrie, Okla.), Vol. 19, No. 34, Ed. 1 Wednesday, January 26, 1910 Page: 4 of 16
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THE OKLAHOMA FARMER, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1
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* of The Farmer tor discussion of metli- &
$ ods and results in foul try Raising. ^
PROPER CARE PEKIN DUCKS.
(By Anna Galigher.)
Wliile duck raising i« very profitable
when thoroughly understood, the
chance* are that the beginner who
starts in by guess, will be a "quitter"
at the end of the first season.
The Pekin is now the most popular
duck raised in this country. They are
large and fine in appearance, being
nearly as large when fully developed
as ihe old-time gray goose. These are
known as the Mammoth Imperial Pe-
king.
They are large feeders, and while
young grow faster than any other do-
mestic fowl, with the possible excep-
tion of a gosling.
When properly fed, a Pekin duckling
will weigh from live 'to seven pounds
when twelve weeks old. The best time
to market young ducks is when they
are anywhere from ten to fourteen
weeks old. After this they gain in
weight less rapidly.
When buying stock ducks get the
best birds you can find, regardless of
price. If possible, buy your ducks of
someone in your own locality, provi-
ding this can be done without getting
birds that are closely related.
It is not a very good plan to have
ducks shipped from a distance, because
they can not endure close confinement
without suffering. A duck loses weight
very rapidly while being shipped.
A Pekin duck responds readily to
good treatment. They appreciate plen-
ty of food and comfortable quarters,
but they should not be fed or housed
with chickens, nor in fact, with any
other fowls, for they are very timid
creatures and should be kept as quiet
as possible.
Beside this, it is not advisable to
feed ducks with other poultry.
A ration that is all right for ducks
may be all wrong for chickens, and
vice versa. For instance, while grain
is not as good for ducks as a mixture
of ground grains and cooked vege-
tables.
Whole corn may be fed occasionally,
but It should be soaked for several
hours before feeding.
Dry oats and wheat make very poor
duck feed, but both are good when
cooked and mixed with corn meal or
boiled potatoes and bran.
It hardly pays to feod wheat to
ducks unless it is unsalable. Since
thorough cooking renders musty grain
harmless it may be fed to ducks with
good results. When cooked potatoes
are used they should not be mixed
with the ground grain until after the
latter has been thoroughly moistened
with either milk or water.
If the dry meal is added to the
mashed potatoes a tough, stick mass
will be the result. Don't make the
feed sloppy; just moist enongh to
cUng together without being gummy.
A duck cannot eat gummy feed with-
out wasting it.
Other vegetables such as turnips
beets, runtabagas, etc., are sometimes
used instead of potatoes. Pumpkins,
when thoroughly cooked, make a very
good basis for the mash. The seeds
should always be removed.
When no vegetables are to be had
we use equal parts of boiled oats, corn
meal, wheat bran, and middlings or
second flour with a little powdered
charcoal added. Salt is added to the
feed twice a week. Some people (who
ought to know better) put sand and
oyster shell in their duck feed. When
this is done the ducks are often forced
to consume more grit than they re-
quire.
Of course, ducks must have plenty of
grit at all times, but it should not be
mixed with the food. We place shal-
low boxes of grit close to the feed
troughs. Oyster shell and coal cinders
in some of the boxes, and clean, coarse
sand in others.
Ducks will eat grit after every meal
if it is within reach.
They usually drink and rinse their
beaks while eating, therefore water
should be placed near the feed troughs.
Also greer, food is necessary the year
round. Seme sort of green stuff should
be given at least once a day in winter.
Pays the
Freight
East of
Rockies
Book Ready
This Month Johnson
Says Better Write Him
m _ m rxON'T wait a day longer. I'll start you
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the money. Send your name and get
ray "big letter" telling how—my Big Free "Old Trusty" Book—I wrote
it myself, as ever. Over 200 pages this year, and over 1,200 pictures-
most of them new, so you'll be bound to be interested. Thousands of
users of "Old Trusties" have written me again, and sent in helpful
advice to chicken raisers and photographs of results of their big
batches and broods of broilers.
Old Trusty—
Asbostos-and-Motai-Cncasod
Incubators and Brooders
Old Trusty practically runs itself. Over 150,000 are
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No charge for the improvements. 1 use the same Cali-
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Simple and easy to run. "Stands without hitching," and
"hatches without watching" like you have to do with
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Sent to You Promptly on
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lO-Ymar Guarantee 75" Bet tor
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Don't pay two prices. Look up the facts about "Old
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last seven years and you can rend why—and all about me
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es, and no worry about it.
r
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Let me write you, personally, and tell you my prtct
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Poultry
f/7, Mm Johnson, Incubator Man
Olay Center, Nebraska
If cabbage is plentiful, a little may
be added to the mash each time. It
should be chopped raw. As bulk is
one of the Important elements in a
Pekin duck's ration, it is a good plan
to provide an abundance of green stuff
for winter use. We usually sow a
patch i'f rye early In the fall for winter
and early spring use.
If it gets a good start 111 the fall it
will stay green all winter, if protected
with a little straw or other covering.
Th" grain of rye is unfit for poultry
feed. Unless ducks are well fed in the
winter they will n >t begin laying very
early in the spring, and when they do
begin their eggs will not be as large,
nor as fertile as they otherwise would.
A well fed and properly housed Pekin
duck usually lays an egg every twen-
ty-four hours during the laying sea-
son, which begins about March first,
and ends about July first. During this
time they will sometimes take a short
rest, and will miss a day occasionally,
but they seldom stop for any length of
time during the laying season. The
tirst few eggs will not hatch as a rule.
Ducks, both o'.d and young, should
have a dry, comfortable place to stay
in at night. If forced to sit on the
damp ground they are liable to take
cramps and cold in the head. The lat-
ter is almost certain to turn to roup.
Provide suitable houses if you wish
to be successful. The houses need not
be very expensive, but they should be
substantial so that they may be used
for the same purpose several years in
succession.
There is usually some shed or build-
ing that can be converted into a duck
house at small expense. Where only a
small llock s kept this plan Is advis-
able.
If the roof is good the rest is easy.
If the weather boarding is not suffici-
ently close to keep out draughts in
cold weather cover the outside with
tarred paper or strip with latn.
A board floor is better than an earth
floor, because the ducks will often stir
up the ground in a very disagreeable
manner where there is the best sign
of moisture.
In cold weather Pekin ducks should
be kept in the house, because their
feet are so tender that when they
come in contact with the frozen
ground they suffer greatly, and hobble
along as though their backs were
broken. However, they should not be
kept housed more than is really neces-
sary.
During a thaw, even if the snow is
rather deep, it will do no harm to turn
the ducks out. They enjoy plowing
through the snow during a thaw when
the air is soft.
Provide plenty of clean bedding, and
change itt frequently. Straw or litter
should be kept on the floors all the
time. If bedding material is plentiful
put it on several inches thick. It will
help to keep the ducks comfortable,
and also keep the floors clean, thus
serving a double purpose.
Never pick ducks in cold weather,
nor during the laying season.
Ducks' eggs may be hatched in in-
cubators, but it is better to use large
chicken-hens when possible.
If one wishes to hatch ducklings
very early in the season, then the In-
cubator is the only thing that will do
the work.
Ducks scarcely ever get broody, and
when they do, as a rule the season is
far advanced. Besides, it is poor pol-
icy to place eggs under a duel;.
Don't keep duck eggs over a wet.k
after tbej are laid. The fresher they
are the better they will hatch.
After a Pekin duck egg is ten days
old, it is entirely worthless so far as
hatching is concerned. They should
he very carefully handled, as the albu-
men is much thinner than that of
other eggs.
This fact, coupled with the age limit'
accounts for so many poor hatches,
especially where the eggs have been
shipped.
As soon as the eggs are laid, if not
placed at once for hatching, they
should be carefully wrapped in paper
and turned every day. They should b3
kept where the temperature is neither
too high nor too low—about 50 to 65
degrees F. Don't keep eggs intended
for hatching in a damp cellar.
When ducks are laying, their appe-
SamThompsonSays
Try My New fairfield
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2 Matches fpfi
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I Sam Thompson, Pres., I
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5.eMail) St., FairUetd.NebA
tite increases, but one must be careful
not to overfeed. If their food is not
too highly concentrated, and there is
plenty of coarse grit and sand within
reach, there is little danger of over-
feeding. Three or four square meals
a day will not hurt a laying duck.
When overfed they lay double-yolked
eggs.
We give our ducks tepid water when
the weather is very cold. Coal ashes
are valuable to take up surplus mois-
ture from the floor. They should be
sifted, and the cinders saved for grit.
Never give ducks buttermilk, or in
fact, any other kind of milk, to drink.
It may be used to moisten their feed,
however. Buttermilk, skim milk and
"clabber" are all valuable in duck feed
ing, but they should be used only for
moistening the feed, and not as a
drink.
Don't keep over five ducks for each
drake.
The average poultry population of tho
Canadian farm in 1901, when the last
census was taken, was 32.24; the poultry
population of the whole Dominion was
17,922,058. The year before, the good
Canadian hens laid 84.123,802 dozen of
eggs, valued at $10,368,828.
LEGHORNS.
ROSE COMB BROWN LEGHORNS
WHITE LEGHORNS
High scoring stock; eggs, $1.60 for ti;
$4.00 for 60, $7.00 for 100. I also krstd
folsnd China hogs.
C. H. LESKE, R. 3, Csiumst, Okla.
S. C. W. LEGHORNS, Exclusively
Stock scoring to 9G; nothing in breed-
ing pens under 94. Stock for sale; eggs
$1.50 per 15 or $5.00 per 100. Pure bred
Poland China hogs at farmers' prices,
everything guaranteed. Write your
wants today. W. J. Leeper, R. F. D.,
El Reno. Okla.
WYANDOTTES
WYANDOTTE WINNERS
White-Golden-Partridge
1st hen, 2nd cock, 3rd pullet, also 2nd
and 4th pen at Okla. State Show this
year. Eggs $3.00 per ib. Stock for sal*
after Nov. 1st. T. J. DUNCAN, 1518 W.
7th St. Oklahoma City.
SANITARY POULTRY YARDS,
J. N. Burton, Sterling Kb., Prop.
Breeder of Standard, and bred to lay
White Wyandottes of the Trap Nest
Strain—Not only prize winners in tha
Exhibition coops, but also 1st prize win-
ners in a 4 months egg laying contest—
Stock for sale at reasonable prices.
ALL BREEDS.
CARMEN POULTRY FARM
S. C. W. Leghorns, R. C. B. Leghorns;
C. Buff Leghorns, S. C. R. I. Reds, «nd
S. C. W. Rocks. Eggs $1.25 per IB.
llave tine birds. Write your wants. Tha
pens are headed by C. C. Shoemakar'a
Cockerels, Freeport, Illinois.
T. MEANS, Carmen, Okla.
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Greer, Frank H. Oklahoma Farmer (Guthrie, Okla.), Vol. 19, No. 34, Ed. 1 Wednesday, January 26, 1910, newspaper, January 26, 1910; Guthrie, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc88272/m1/4/?q=wichita+falls: accessed June 16, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.