There are a number of varieties, the wild Black Spanish, the
Canvass-Back, and the ordinary little duck of the farmyard, are all
good. The common duck is the only one we recommend for the American
poultry-yard. A close pasture, including a rivulet, or a small stream of
water, affords facilities for raising ducks at a cheap rate. From one
hundred to one thousand ducks may be raised in such an enclosure of an
acre or two, quite profitably. If there is plenty of grass, they will
still need a little grain. In the winter the cheapest feed is beets or
potatoes cut fine, with a very little grain. Each duck, well kept, will
lay from fifty to one hundred eggs, larger than hen's eggs, and about as
good for cooking purposes. They may be picked as geese, for live
feathers, though not quite so frequently. The feathers will nearly pay
for keeping, leaving the eggs and increase as profit.