mal Industry, U. S. Department of Agriculture._)]
_Prices and Uses of Duck Feathers._ The soft body feathers and the
coarser feathers often called "sweepings" should be kept and sold
separate. While scalded feathers are not worth as much as dry picked
feathers, the former if properly dried out or cured will find a ready
sale. Feathers packed before they are thoroughly dried out, are likely
to arrive at their destination in a matted and musty or heated
condition. This, of course, injures their quality and the price paid for
them is discounted according to their condition.
The soft body feathers of ducks are used almost entirely for bedding
purposes, that is, are put in pillows and feather beds. White feathers
are preferred and usually bring a somewhat higher price.
The prices paid for the feathers vary quite widely at different times of
the year, and in different sections of the country, and also of course
with the condition of the feathers themselves. The quotations given
below represent the prices paid in June, 1921.
Duck Feathers Cents Per Pound
Pure white, dry picked 50 " "
Stained and scalded white 40 " "
Dark or mixed, dry picked 33 " "
Dark or mixed, scalded 20 to 25 " "
_Marketing Eggs._ On commercial duck farms very few eggs are marketed.
This is due to the fact that the duck growers find it more profitable to
incubate all eggs suitable for that purpose and to rear and market the
ducklings rather than to sell the eggs. There are always, however, a
certain number of cracked eggs and others which may be too large or too
small to use for hatching and which are therefore marketed. In addition
the infertile eggs tested out on the 5th day are sold. The eggs may be
packed in ordinary 30 dozen egg cases such as are used for hens' eggs,
utilizing a special filler 5 cells square. With these fillers a case
holds 20 5-6 dozen duck eggs. A special duck case, holding 30 dozen duck
eggs may be used, the fillers in this case being 6 cells square like the
fillers used for hens' eggs. The cells in these fillers are 2 inches
square and 2-1/4 or 2-1/2 inches deep.

CHAPTER VIII
Duck Raising on the Farm

Duck raising as ordinarily conducted on the general farm consists of the
keeping of a comparatively small flock purely as a side line. Ducks on
the general farm may be kept for the production of meat and eggs, for
egg production, or mainly as a breeding proposition where the idea is to
prod