much as they will clean up
at each feeding and if any feed is left it should be gathered up so that
it will not sour and cause digestive troubles.
The first feed consists of the following:--One measure corn meal, one
measure bran, one measure ground crackers, stale bread or shredded wheat
waste, one measure in 10 of beef scrap or fish, one measure in 6 of
creek grass or other very fine green stuff. Green rye or oats should
never be used for this purpose after it becomes jointed. If the feed is
mixed up with cold water about -1/2 measure of low-grade wheat flour should
be used to cause it to stick together. If hot water is used in the
mixing this is not needed.
Sand must be fed either by mixing it in to the extent of about 3% of the
ration or the sand can be fed separately in hoppers as previously
described. This same mixture may be fed in the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3
brooder houses, or in other words, until ducklings go to the yards, or
ration No. 2 given below may be substituted either at the start or after
a week or ten days. After the ducklings go to the yards the following
fattening ration is used: 200 pounds corn meal, 100 pounds low-grade
flour, 100 pounds bran, 1 part in 10 of beef scrap and 2 tubs or bushels
of green stuff. Some duck growers prefer to feed 300 pounds of corn meal
instead of 200 pounds. This ration like the other is fed 3 times a day.
Of course, there are many different rations in use with good results,
every grower having more or less personal preferences in this matter. A
proper proportion of animal feed, consisting of beef scrap or fish is
very important as the ducklings will not grow and make normal gains if
this is omitted or reduced in amount.
Much has been written about the feeding of celery seed to fattening
ducklings for the purpose of improving the flavor of the flesh and
formerly ducklings were advertised and sold as "celery-fed". As a matter
of fact, the amount of celery seed fed was small and it is questionable
how much influence it had on the flavor of the birds. At the present
time, celery seed is not used in fattening the ducklings on most of the
large duck farms of Long Island.
A comparison of gains made by ducklings on two different rations is
shown in the following table. Ration No. 1 consists of the fattening
ration given above. Ration No. 2 consists of 100 pounds bran, 100 pounds
corn meal, 50 pounds rolled oats, 50 pounds gluten feed, 10% beef scrap.
The ducks used were three days old at the first weighing