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* * * * *
[Illustration: _Frontispiece._ General view of water yards and ducklings
on a large Long Island duck farm. (_Photograph from the Bureau of Animal
Industry, U. S. Department of Agriculture._)]
DUCKS AND GEESE
BY
HARRY M. LAMON
SENIOR POULTRYMAN, BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY, UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
AND
ROB R. SLOCUM
POULTRYMAN, BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY, UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
_Authors of
"The Mating and Breeding of Poultry"
and "Turkey Raising"_
ILLUSTRATED
NEW YORK
ORANGE JUDD PUBLISHING COMPANY
LONDON
KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUeBNER & CO., LIMITED
1922
COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY
ORANGE JUDD PUBLISHING COMPANY
_All Rights Reserved_
PRINTED IN U. S. A.
PREFACE
Of all lines of poultry keeping, duck raising is unique in that it lends
itself to the greatest degree of specialization and intensification
along lines which are purely commercial. On a comparatively small area
thousands of ducklings can be reared and marketed yearly. The call for
information concerning the methods used by these commercial duck raisers
has been considerable, and since such information is not available in
complete concise form the present book has been prepared partly to
furnish just this information.
The methods used by successful Long Island duck raisers differ widely in
some particulars and since in the space at command, it has been
impossible to describe all the methods used, the plan has been adopted
of detailing in the main the methods of one successful grower. This it
is believed will prove to be more helpful and less confusing than to
attempt to give the method of several different men.
Much space has been given to the operations of the commercial duck
raisers but the fact is recognized that the great bulk of the ducks
entering into the trade of the country is the product of small flocks
kept on general farms. For this reason a chapter has been added dealing
with duck raising on the farm, and attention is here called to the fact
that most of the information given under commercial duck raising can be
readily adapted to use in connection with the farm flock.
Detailed, complete information on goose raising is even more fragmentary
than is the case with ducks. Yet there is a fine opportunity to rear a
few geese at a profit on many farms, and the need and call for
information is quite general. It is for this reason that a section of
this book has been devoted to goose raising and in that section all the
good reliable information available on the subject is given. The special
attention of the women of the farm is directed to the opportunity which
goose raising offers to make a good profit on a small side line with the
minimum of initial investment and of labor.
The greatest care has been taken to make the information on both duck
and goose raising as complete and clear as possible. However, the
authors appreciate the unlimited value of good illustrations in making
clear methods and operations which are more difficult to grasp from a
word description, and have therefore assembled a set of illustrations
for this book, the completeness and excellence of which have never
before been approached in any book on the subject. The illustrations
alone are an education.
In preparing and presenting this book to the public, the authors take
pleasure in acknowledging their deep indebtedness to the following
persons for help and information furnished:
Roy E. Pardee
John C. Kriner
Charles McClave
Stanley Mason
Dr. Balliet
William Minnich
George W. Hackett
Dawson Brothers
Particular acknowledgment is due Robert A. Tuttle for the manner in
which he threw open his duck plant to the authors and for the most
generous amount of time which he gave in furnishing information.
Special acknowledgment is likewise due Alfred R. Lee, Poultryman, U. S.
Department of Agriculture, for information secured from his Farmers'
Bulletins on duck raising and goose raising.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
List of Illustrations.
PART I--DUCKS
Chapter. Page.
I. Extent of the Industry--Opportunities 3
Present Extent of the Industry--Different Types of Duck
Raising--Opportunities for Duck Raising--Prices for
Breeding Stock--Ducks for Ornamental Purposes.
II. Breeds and Varieties--How to Mate to Produce Exhibition
Specimens--Preparing Ducks for the Show--Catching and
Handling 9
Breeds of Ducks--Classification of Breeds--Marking the
Ducks--Nomenclature--Distinguishing the
Sex--Size--Popularity of Breeds--Egg Production--Size of
Duck Eggs--Color of Eggs--Broodiness--General
Considerations in Making the Mating--Making the
Mating--The Pekin--The Aylesbury--The Rouen--The
Cayuga--The Call--The Gray Call--The White Call--The
Black East India--The Muscovy--The Colored Muscovy--The
White Muscovy--The Blue Swedish--The Crested White--The
Buff--The Runner--The Fawn and White Runner--The White
Runner--The Penciled Runner--Preparing Ducks for the
Show--Catching and Handling Ducks--Packing and Shipping
Hatching Eggs.
III. Commercial Duck Farming--Location--Estimate of Equipment
and Capital Necessary in Starting the Business 42
Distribution--Stock Used--Location of Plant--Making a
Start in Duck Farming--Equipment, Capital, etc.
Required--Lay-out or Arrangement of the Plant--Land
Required--Number of Breeders required--Housing Required
for Breeders--Incubator Capacity--Brooder
Capacity--Fattening Houses or Sheds--Feed
Storage--Killing and Picking House--Resident--Horse
Power--Feeding Track--Electric Lights--Water
Supply--Fences--Labor--Invested Capital--Working
Capital--Profits.
IV. Commercial Duck Farming--Management of the Breeding Stock 55
Age of Breeders--Distinguishing Young from Old
Ducks--Selection of Breeding Ducks--Number of Females to
a Drake--Securing Breeding Drakes--Houses and Yards for
Breeders--Bedding and Cleaning the Breeding
Houses--Cleaning the Breeding Yards--Water Yards for
Breeders--Feeding the Breeders--Egg Production--Time of
Marketing Breeders--Disease--Insect Pests--Dogs.
V. Commercial Duck Farming--Incubation 70
Kinds of incubators used--Incubator Cellar--Incubator
Capacity Required--Age of Hatching Eggs--Care of
Hatching Eggs--Selecting the Eggs for
Hatching--Temperature--Position of
Thermometer--Testing--Turning the Eggs--Cooling the
Eggs--Moisture--Fertility--Hatching--Selling Baby Ducks.
VI. Commercial Duck Farming--Brooding and Rearing the
Young Stock 80
Removing the Newly Hatched Ducklings to the Brooder
House--Brooder Houses Required--Brooder House No.
1--Construction of House--Heating
Apparatus--Pens--Equipment of the Pens--Grading and
Sorting the Ducklings--Cleaning and Bedding the
Pens--Ventilation--Other Types of Brooder Houses--Length
of Time in Brooder House No. 1--Brooder House No.
2--Brooder House No. 3--Yard Accommodations for
Ducklings--Shade--Feeding--Lights for Ducklings--Pounds
of Feed to Produce a Pound of Market Duck--Water for
Young Ducks--Age and Weight when Ready for
Market--Cripples--Cleaning the Yards--Critical Period
with Young Ducks--Disease Prevention--Gapes or
Pneumonia--Fits--Diarrhoea--Lameness--Sore Eyes--Feather
Eating or Quilling--Rats--Cooperative Feed Association.
VII. Commercial Duck Farming--Marketing 102
Proper Age to Market--Weights at Time of Marketing--The
Last Feed for Market Ducks--Sorting Market
Ducklings--Killing--Scalding--Picking--Dry
Picking--Cooling--Packing--Shipping--Cooperative
Marketing Association--Prices for Ducks--Shipping Ducks
Alive--Saving the Feathers--Prices and Uses of Duck
Feathers--Marketing Eggs.
VIII. Duck Raising, on the Farm 120
Conditions Suitable for Duck Raising--Size of
Flock--Making a Start--Selecting the Breed--Age of
Breeding Stock--Size of Matings--Breeding and Laying
Season--Management of
Breeders--Housing--Feeding--Water--Yards--Care of Eggs
for Hatching--Hatching the Eggs--Brooding and
Rearing--Feeding the Ducklings--Water for
Ducklings--Distinguishing the Sexes--Marketing the
Ducks--Diseases and Insect Pests.
PART II--GEESE
IX. Extent of the Industry--Opportunities 141
Nature of the Industry--Opportunities for Goose
Raising--Goose Raising as a Business for Farm
Women--Geese as Weed Destroyers--Objections to Geese.
X. Breeds and Varieties--How to Mate to Produce Exhibition
Specimens--Preparing Geese for the Show--Catching and
Handling 147
Breeds of Geese--Nomenclature--Size--Popularity of the
Breeds--Egg Production--Size of Goose Eggs--Color of
Goose Eggs--Broodiness--Size of Mating--Age of
Breeders--Marking Young Geese--General Considerations in
Making the Mating--Making the Mating--The Toulouse--The
Embden--The African--The Chinese--The Brown Chinese--The
White Chinese--The Wild or Canadian--The
Egyptian--Preparing Geese for the Show--Catching and
Handling Geese--Packing and Shipping Hatching
Eggs--Prices for Breeding Stock.
XI. Management of Breeding Geese 164
Range for Breeders--Number of Geese to the Acre--Water
for Breeding Geese--Distinguishing the Sex--Purchase of
Breeding Stock--Time of Laying--Housing--Yards--Feeding
the Breeding Geese.
XII. Incubation 172
Care of Eggs for Hatching--Methods of Incubation--Period
of Incubation--Hatching with Chicken Hens--Hatching with
Geese--Breaking Up Broody Geese--Hatching with an
Incubator--Moisture for Hatching Eggs--Hatching.
XIII. Brooding and Rearing Goslings 178
Methods of Brooding--Brooding with Hens or Geese--Length
of Time Brooding is Necessary--Artificial
Brooding--General Care of Growing Goslings--Feeding the
Goslings--Percentage of Goslings Raised--Rapidity of
Growth--Diseases.
XIV. Fattening and Marketing Geese 187
Classes of Geese Marketed--Markets and Prices--Prejudice
Against Roast Goose--Methods of Fattening Geese for
Market--Pen Fattening--Noodling Geese--Methods Used on
Fattening Farms--Selling Geese
Alive--Killing--Picking--Packing for Shipment--Saving the
Feathers--Plucking Live Geese for their Feathers.
Index 215
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Frontispiece. Water Yards and Ducklings.
1. Mule Ducks and Blue Swedish Ducks 10
2. Mallard Ducks 11
3. Goose, Duck and Hen Eggs 18
4. Young Pekins for Breeders and Aylesbury Drake 19
5. Rouen Drake and Black East India Ducks 24
6. Rouen Drake in Summer Plumage and Rouen Duck 25
7. Cayuga Ducks 26
8. Gray Call Ducks 27
9. White Call Ducks 28
10. Colored Muscovy Drake and White Muscovy Drake 29
11. Crested White Drake and Young White Muscovy
Showing Black on Head 32
12. Wing of Blue Swedish Duck 33
13. Pair of Buff Ducks 36
14. Penciled Runner Drake and White Runner Drake 37
15. Methods of Carrying Ducks 40
16. Power Feed Mixer 41
17. Duck Houses 58
18. House for Breeding Ducks 59
19. Another Type of Breeding House 62
20. Feeding the Breeders 63
21. Interior of Breeding House 74
22. Incubator Cellar 75
23. Interior of No. 1 Brooder House 82
24. Watering Arrangement in Brooder Pens 83
25. Another Type of No. 1 Brooder House 86
26. Brooder House No. 2 87
27. Brooder House No. 3 88
28. Long Brooder House and Yards 89
29. Pekin Ducklings 3 Days and 2 Weeks Old 90
30. Pekin Ducklings 3 Weeks and 6 Weeks Old 91
31. Interior of Cold Brooder House 92
32. Yard Ducks 93
33. Duck Sheds 94
34. Feeding and Watering Arrangements 95
35. Green Feed for Ducks 96
36. Feeding from Track 97
37. Yard Ducks at Rest 98
38. Artificial Water Yards 99
39. Catching Pens for Fattening Ducklings 104
40. Carrying Ducklings to Slaughter 105
41. Hanging Ducklings and Cutting Throat Veins 106
42. Bleeding Ducklings 107
43. Washing Heads 108
44. Ducklings Ready for the Pickers 109
45. Scalding 110
46. Picking Ducks 111
47. Dressed Duckling 112
48. Weighing Out Ducklings for Packing 113
49. Curing Duck Feathers 148
50. Egyptian Gander and Sebastapol Goose 149
51. Toulouse and Embden Ganders 154
52. Canadian and African Ganders 155
53. Brown and White Chinese Ganders 158
54. Methods of Handling Geese 159
55. Geese Fattening in an Orchard 198
* * * * *
DUCKS
PART I
Chapter I
Present Extent of the Industry
Duck raising while representing an industry of considerable value to the
United States when considered from a national standpoint, is one of the
minor branches of the poultry industry. According to the 1920 census
there were 2,817,624 ducks in the United States with a valuation of
$3,373,966. As compared with this the census for 1910 shows a slightly
greater number of ducks, 2,906,525, but their value was considerably
less being only $1,567,164. In the ten years between the census of 1900
and that of 1910 there was a decrease in the number of ducks of nearly
40%.
According to the 1920 census the more important duck raising states
arranged in their order of importance were Iowa, Illinois, Pennsylvania,
New York, Missouri, Minnesota, Tennessee, Ohio, South Dakota, Indiana,
Nebraska and Kentucky. The number reported for Iowa was 235,249 and for
Kentucky 99,577. New England, the North Atlantic, the East North
Central, the West North Central, the Mountain and the Pacific states
showed an increase, while the South Atlantic, East South Central and
West South Central states showed a decrease. In spite of the existence
of quite a number of large commercial duck farms, the great bulk of
ducks produced are those which come from the general farms where only
small flocks are kept. Yet only a small proportion of farms have ducks
on them. The comparatively small number of ducks is distributed over
practically the entire United States, being more common in some sections
than others, particularly along the Atlantic Coast and along the Pacific
Coast, with fairly numerous flocks on the farms of the Middle West.
_Different Types of Duck Raising._ The conditions under which ducks are
kept and the purpose for which they are kept fall under four heads:
First, commercial duck raising for the production of duck meat; second,
duck raising as a by-product of the general farm; third, duck raising
for egg production; fourth, duck breeding for pleasure, exhibition or
the sale of breeding stock.
_Opportunities for Duck Raising._ Undoubtedly the greatest opportunity
for profitable duck growing lies under the first of these heads, namely,
commercial duck raising. Where the conditions of climate, soil and land
are favorable and where the location is good with respect to market
there exists an excellent opportunity for one skilled in duck growing to
engage in that business in an intensive manner for the purpose of
putting on the market spring or green ducklings. Where these are in
demand they bring a good price and since the output per farm is large
they pay a good return even with a small margin of profit per pound.
The second greatest opportunity undoubtedly consists of duck raising as
a by-product of the general farm. Where conditions are suitable, that is
to say, where there is a considerable amount of pasture land easily
accessible, and particularly where there is a stream or pond to which
the ducks can have access, a small flock of ducks, say 10 or 12 females,
can be kept to excellent advantage on the farm. The cost of maintaining
them will not be great and they will not only provide a most acceptable
variety in the form of duck meat and duck eggs for the farmers' table
but they will also produce a surplus which can be sold at a profit. It
must be remembered, however, that where only a small flock is kept it is
generally impracticable for the farmer to give his ducks the attention
necessary to cater to the market for green ducklings. As a result he
usually keeps them until fall and sells them on the market at a
considerably lower price than is obtained by the commercial duck grower.
There also exists an opportunity which has not been developed to any
great extent to keep some one of the egg producing breeds of ducks such
as the Indian Runner for the primary purpose of egg production. A few
ventures of this sort seem to have been successful but it must be
remembered that the market for duck eggs is not nearly so broad as that
for hens' eggs and that in some quarters there exists considerable
prejudice against duck eggs for table consumption. Before engaging in
duck raising primarily for the production of market eggs it would
therefore be necessary to investigate and consider carefully the market
conditions in the neighborhood so as to know whether the eggs could be
marketed to advantage. While the Runner ducks are prolific layers there
is no advantage in keeping them in preference to fowls as egg producers.
The eggs are larger in size but it takes more feed to produce them,
while they cannot as a rule be disposed of at much if any higher price
than can be secured for hens' eggs. For baking purposes duck eggs can be
readily sold on account of their larger size.
There is always an opportunity to produce fine stock of any kind,
whether it be ducks, chickens, turkeys or geese. Ducks are not exhibited
to the same extent as are chickens and the competition in the shows is
not as a rule so keen. Nevertheless many persons are interested in
producing and exhibiting good stock and there exists a very definite
market for birds of quality.
There is also a probability that a good business could be worked up by
one who would pay special attention to producing a strain of ducks of
early maturity, large size and good vigor in order to supply breeding
drakes to many of the commercial duck farms. These farms usually secure
drakes for breeding from sources outside their own flocks each year but
the usual practice is to exchange drakes with some other commercial
grower. While very good birds are to be found on these duck farms there
is no greater opportunity to engage in any systematic breeding, the
selection of the breeding stock being of rather a hurried nature during
certain seasons of the year when the ducks are being marketed. Moreover,
the long continued custom of exchanging drakes with the neighboring
farmers has in most cases led to the blood being so largely confined
within one circle that no great percentage of new blood is obtained by
these exchanges. Of course, the opportunity along breeding lines for
this purpose is limited to the Pekin duck as this is the breed which is
kept upon all the large commercial duck farms in the United States.
_Prices for Breeding Stock._ Duck breeders who make a specialty of
selling breeding stock or eggs for hatching find a steady and quite a
wide demand for their stock. The eggs are usually sold in sittings of 11
and bring a price of from $3 to $5 per sitting depending on the quality
of the stock. The prices received for the birds themselves depend of
course upon their quality and may run anywhere from about $5 to $25 per
bird.
_Ducks for Ornamental Purposes._ On estates or in parks where natural or
artificial ponds are included in the grounds, waterfowl are often kept
for ornamental purposes. Any breeds may be used, and often the gay
colored Wood Duck and Mandarin, or some one of the small breeds such as
the Calls, Black East Indian or the Mallards are kept for this purpose.
It is said that these small ducks will absolutely destroy the mosquito
larvae in any such ponds or lakes.