tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">96

36. Feeding from Track 97 37. Yard Ducks at Rest 98 38. Artificial Water Yards 98 39. Catching Pens for Fattening Ducklings 104 40. Carrying Ducklings to Slaughter 104 41. Hanging Ducklings and Cutting Throat Veins 105 42. Bleeding Ducklings 105 43. Washing Heads 105 44. Ducklings Ready for the Pickers 105 45. Scalding 106 46. Picking Ducks 107 47. Dressed Duckling 109 48. Weighing Out Ducklings for Packing 109 49. Curing Duck Feathers 118 50. Egyptian Gander and Sebastapol Goose 161 51. Toulouse and Embden Ganders 161 52. Canadian and African Ganders 161 53. Brown and White Chinese Ganders 161 54. Methods of Handling Geese 162 55. Geese Fattening in an Orchard 200

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DUCKS
PART I

CHAPTER I
Present Extent of the Industry

Duck raising while representing an industry of considerable value to the United States when considered from a national standpoint, is one of the minor branches of the poultry industry. According to the 1920 census there were 2,817,624 ducks in the United States with a valuation of $3,373,966. As compared with this the census for 1910 shows a slightly greater number of ducks, 2,906,525, but their value was considerably less being only $1,567,164. In the ten years between the census of 1900 and that of 1910 there was a decrease in the number of ducks of nearly 40%.

According to the 1920 census the more important duck raising states arranged in their order of importance were Iowa, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York, Missouri, Minnesota, Tennessee, Ohio, South Dakota, Indiana, Nebraska and Kentucky. The number reported for Iowa was 235,249 and for Kentucky 99,577. New England, the North Atlantic, the East North Central, the West North Central, the Mountain and the Pacific states showed an increase, while the South Atlantic, East South Central and West South Central states showed a decrease. In spite of the existence of quite a number of large commercial duck farms, the great bulk of ducks produced are those which come from the general farms where only small flocks are kept. Yet only a small proportion of farms have ducks on them. The comparatively small number of ducks is distributed over practically the entire United States, being more common in some sections than others, particularly along the Atlantic Coast and along the Pacific Coast, with fairly numerous flocks on the farms of the Middle West.

Different Types of Duck Raising. The conditions under which ducks are kept and the purpose for which they are kept fall under four heads: First, commercial duck raising for the production of duck meat; second, duck raising as a by-product of the general farm; third, duck raising for egg production; fourth, duck breeding for pleasure, exhibition or the sale of breeding stock.

Opportunities for Duck Raising. Undoubtedly the greatest opportunity for profitable duck growing lies under the first of these heads, namely, commercial duck raising. Where the conditions of climate, soil and land are favorable and where the location is good with respect to market there exists an excellent opportunity for one skilled in duck growing to engage in that business in an intensive manner for the purpose of putting on the market spring or green