Ducks and Geese: Standard Breeds and ManagementHoward, George E. (George Ellsworth)
Science
Ducks and Geese: Standard Breeds and Management
Howard, George E. (George Ellsworth)
Ducks; Geese
In fig. 10 is shown a simple house that may be built at small expense.
It is plain and has a shed roof. Such a house should be built of rough
boards, 12 inches by 1 inch, and joints covered by 3-inch by 1-inch
strips. The roof should be made water-tight and covered with tarred
paper, shingles, or tin. The outside should be well drained around the
bottom, that it may not be damp. Some advocate board floors, raised
from 6 to 8 inches from the ground and covered from 4 to 6 inches
with dry earth, straw, or leaves. The writer favors the using of
board floors in all houses for chickens, but thinks it not essential
for ducks. If the house is well drained on the outside and the earth
floor is covered with hay, straw, or leaves, it will be perfectly
satisfactory. There must not be dampness in the house, as the birds
will not do so well; while they are given to water on the outside they
must have comfortable quarters in which to "warm up," or "dry out."
The building shown in fig. 10 may be constructed of any dimensions
desired, according to the size of flock to be kept. A house 12 by 14
feet will accommodate nicely a flock of a dozen. There are no interior
arrangements whatever, simply the floor surface of the building. It is
better not to use nests. Some raisers use a plain nest, as shown in
fig. 11. These nests are made of 1-inch boards, 12 inches high and 16
inches long, set 14 inches apart, and held together in front with a
3-inch strip. The nests are nailed to the back of the house. But more
than half the eggs are laid on the floor of the house or in the yard,
and, if permitted, a duck will build herself a nest to her liking.
Again, a duck is liable to injure herself by falling over the strips in
front of nests or other obstructions that may be in the house. In fig.
12 is shown the nest of a wild duck.
[Illustration: Fig. 11.--Nests for ducks.]
[Illustration: Fig. 12.--Nest of wild duck.]
When two or more breeding pens are to be kept, the plan of the house
shown in fig. 10 may be extended to any length desired, as shown in
fig. 13. In figs. 14 and 15 are shown two more designs of duck houses,
which are practical and cheap, and may be built singly or in rows for
a number of pens. Either of these houses, and also that shown in fig.
10, make excellent breeding houses for the farmer to keep ducks in.
An inclosure should be given the breeding ducks, as they do better
confined than when at liberty. Give plenty of room and inclose the run
with 2-inch wire mesh 2 feet wide. If water is accessible, it should be
inclosed by the mesh-wire fencing of the same width as for the run. In
fig. 16 is shown a duck house with water runs, and also the arrangement
of wire runs in the water. This is an admirable plan for farmers who
have running water on their farms.
BROODING HOUSES.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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