Ducks and Geese

Transcriber's Note

The figure captions have been retained in the same order of appearance as the plates in the original, but moved to follow the section which each illustrates. The list of illustrations has been adjusted accordingly.

Minor inconsistencies in spelling have been retained as in the original. Where typographical errors have been corrected and missing references added, these are listed at the end of this book.

Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
Index

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, TRÜBNER & CO., LIMITED

1922

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.

	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	11
2.	Mallard Ducks	11
3.	Goose, Duck and Hen Eggs	17
4.	Young Pekins for Breeders and Aylesbury Drake	23
5.	Rouen Drake and Black East India Ducks	24
6.	Rouen Drake in Summer Plumage and Rouen Duck	25
7.	Cayuga Ducks	27
8.	Gray Call Ducks	28
9.	White Call Ducks	29
10.	Colored Muscovy Drake and White Muscovy Drake	32
11.	Crested White Drake and Young White Muscovy Showing Black on Head	33
12.	Wing of Blue Swedish Duck	34
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	51
17.	Duck Houses	60
18.	House for Breeding Ducks	60
19.	Another Type of Breeding House	63
20.	Feeding the Breeders	63
21.	Interior of Breeding House	75
22.	Incubator Cellar	75
23.	Interior of No. 1 Brooder House	83
24.	Watering Arrangement in Brooder Pens	87
25.	Another Type of No. 1 Brooder House	87
26.	Brooder House No. 2	90
27.	Brooder House No. 3	91
28.	Long Brooder House and Yards	91
29.	Pekin Ducklings 3 Days and 2 Weeks Old	91
30.	Pekin Ducklings 3 Weeks and 6 Weeks Old	91
31.	Interior of Cold Brooder House	91
32.	Yard Ducks	92
33.	Duck Sheds	95
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	98
39.	Catching Pens for Fattening Ducklings	104
40.	Carrying Ducklings to Slaughter	104
41.	Hanging Ducklings and Cutting Throat Veins	105
42.	Bleeding Ducklings	105
43.	Washing Heads	105
44.	Ducklings Ready for the Pickers	105
45.	Scalding	106
46.	Picking Ducks	107
47.	Dressed Duckling	109
48.	Weighing Out Ducklings for Packing	109
49.	Curing Duck Feathers	118
50.	Egyptian Gander and Sebastapol Goose	161
51.	Toulouse and Embden Ganders	161
52.	Canadian and African Ganders	161
53.	Brown and White Chinese Ganders	161
54.	Methods of Handling Geese	162
55.	Geese Fattening in an Orchard	200

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DUCKS AND GEESE

PREFACE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS