. Our domestic birds; . portions of suchconcentrated foods as beef scrapsand meat meals. As has beenstated, in its natural state theduck gets the greater part of itsfood from the water. This is allsoft food, and the bird swallowsa great deal of water with it. Itdoes not, therefore, need a largecrop in which to soak its foodbefore it passes into the the crop of the duck is small — merely an enlargement ofthe gullet. Some of the old books on poultry say that the duckhas no crop, but you can see by looking at a duck that has justhad a full meal that the food it has taken remains in the
. Our domestic birds; . portions of suchconcentrated foods as beef scrapsand meat meals. As has beenstated, in its natural state theduck gets the greater part of itsfood from the water. This is allsoft food, and the bird swallowsa great deal of water with it. Itdoes not, therefore, need a largecrop in which to soak its foodbefore it passes into the the crop of the duck is small — merely an enlargement ofthe gullet. Some of the old books on poultry say that the duckhas no crop, but you can see by looking at a duck that has justhad a full meal that the food it has taken remains in the passage,sometimes filling it right up to the throat. With a mash (just the same as is given to hens) morning andevening, a cabbage to pick at, plenty of drinking water, and asupply of oyster shell always before them, ducks will do verywell. If they have no cabbage, about one third (by bulk) ofthe mash should be cut clover or alfalfa. When the days arelong, it is a good plan to give them a little cracked corn or whole. Fig. 130. Pekin duckling sixweeks old MANAGEMENT OF DUCKS 141 wheat about noon. The water supply should always be replen-ished just before feeding, for as soon as a duck has taken a fewmouthfuls of food of any kind, it wants a drink of water. Laying habits. With the exception of the ducks of theIndian Runner type, which lay some eggs at other seasons, ashens do, ducks usually lay very persistently for about six months,and then stop entirely for about six months. Occasionally ducksof other breeds lay a few eggs in the autumn, but this trait hasnot been developedin them as it has inthe Indian they are com-fortably housed andwell fed, Pekin andRouen Ducks usu-ally begin to lay inJanuary. If they areallowed to exposethemselves to roughweather, and are fedindifferently, theymay not begin tolay until March orApril. When theydo begin, they usu-ally lay much more steadily than hens until hot weather comes,and then gradually decrease their production until by
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