ORDINARY POULTRY KEEPING.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2162, 29 January 1881, Page 4

ORDINARY POULTRY KEEPING.

["South Australian Chronicle.’’]

Having given an outline of the points and principal breeds of fowls, we come now to docks, geese, and turkeys, and as a better opportunity may not occur, I purpose at the some time to touch on other matters concerning them. Ducks.—As ducks practically neither fly nor jump, a two feet fence defies them when it necessary to restrict their movements. They need not, nay should not, be excluded from gardens, because, being non-soratchera, and liking nothing bettor than slugs, caterpillars, and many other garden enemies, they are of great use there. The flavor of a young duck, properly cooked, is undeniably exquisite, and some people prefer their flesh to that of geese as not being quite so rich and firm. As to a duck being too much for one man and not enough for two, your readers must judge for themselves. It is better for ducks to have a house of their own, and not to share one with fowls, because it may be desirable at times to oonflue one of these classes of poultry there, and not the other; and then again each would euffer from the dirt of the other. In fallgrown duoksjthejsexes are distinguishable in •various ways: the drakes have curled tails, and their plumage has more colors and is much glossier. When laying ducks should be fastened up at night, and not let out till towards noon next day, as they are liable to drop their eggs anywhere. The duck appears to lay systematically ; for instance, it often produces an egg daily for about tan days or a fortnight, and then rests entirely, maybe for weeks or even months. Ducks’ eggs are little used for boiling purposes, as most people consider them watery and rather strong in flavor as compared to those of hens; but fried, and for puddings, &0.. they stand unrivalled. Though larger than bens’ eggs, their price, when sold to be eaten, it not proportionately higher. Fortunately, however, they are always in good demand at a better figure for breeding purposes. In this ease a drake is generally allotted from three to six ducks. 1 would not exceed four. Xt is almost impossible to foretell whether a duck will set or not, as some do, but many do not. Happily the breeder is quite independent of them. Hens hatch and mother the ducklings equally well. Ducklings are very easy to rear. House them decently at night in rough weather, and let them gorge their pelican-like maws with suitable food (such as a rather firm but moist mixture of pollard and crushed boiled potatoes) as often as they choose, and they are almost bound to thrive marvellously. At about three months old young ducks begin assuming tneir adult plumage, and as this is a lengthy operation, and they gain no flesh during it, owners should kill them either just before this period or as soon afterwards as the docks are full-grown and plump. As to feeding old ducks not being faded a handful of corn daily is sufficient for them.

The two standard breeds of ducks are Rouen and Aylesbury, and which should both be much larger than the general run of ordinary ducks. In Rouens tho drake may be described as having a pale yellow bill, blue head and neck, with a white ring round the latter, purple crop, light lavender and deli-cately-marked under parts, darker and heavier marked back, and a blue bar (as also have the ducks) across each wing. The duck has a yellow and black bill, and the whole of its plumage is brown of different shades, with almost black and wedge-shaped markings, Aylesburys, of both sexes, are entirely white feathered, and have finger-nail colored bills. Yellow bills and black spots, either there or elsewhere, prove the birds are not well bred Aylesburys. Common ducks are much alike all the world over, but I have nowhere seen ■eo many crested ones as in South Australia.