ssary work would be required.
If the owner desires to do his own hauling of the feed from the railroad
and the other necessary trucking he would, of course, have to keep more
horses, a team at least, or an automobile truck. Where only one horse is
kept, this trucking must be hired done.
_Feeding Track._ On many of the larger duck farms, a feed track is
employed in feeding the stock. Such a track consists of a framework of
sufficient strength to support a car filled with mash which is pushed
along the track by hand. The track leads from the feed mixer across the
various yards where the ducks to be fed are located, including both the
breeding ducks, yard ducks and brooder ducks in yards. This involves a
considerable amount of trackage which must be fairly level and which
runs over the yard fences or along the ends of the yards so that the
feed can be shoveled directly from the car into the feeding trays in the
yards. The use of a feed track simplifies the feeding considerably but
its construction is quite expensive. Where a track is not used, the feed
as mixed is dumped into a low wagon which is driven along the yards, or
through them by removing movable panels in the fences and the feed
shoveled from the wagon to the feed trays.
[Illustration: FIG. 16. Power feed mixer. The feed is dumped into a low
wagon from which it is shoveled to the ducks. (_Photograph from the
Bureau of Animal Industry, U. S. Department of Agriculture._)]
_Electric Lights._ Most duck farms at the present time are located where
electric lighting is available. It is desirable and in fact almost
necessary to have the various houses wired so that lights can be turned
on when desired. In addition, lights are usually provided in the yards
for fattening ducks and are used at night and especially during storms
to keep the ducks from stampeding.
_Water Supply._ An adequate water supply is essential. This will consist
of a well or spring furnishing an ample amount of water, a power pump
and a water supply tank. From the tank, the water must be piped to the
incubator cellar, the brooder houses, the killing house, the feed house
and to any of the yards where the ducks do not have access to a natural
supply of good water. In addition, of course, the water from the same
tank is usually used to supply the residence.
_Fences._ Not a great deal of investment is necessary in fences since
the yards are rather small and the fences are low. Two-foot fences of
two-inch mesh wire are used for the yard