W. Coape Oates

“ If you wish to study economy in feeding, an excellent plan is to mix barley meal with your duck meal; commence in the proportion of four parts duck meal to one of barley meal, and increase the proportion of the latter until the mixture is half and half. Too much barley meal is, I feel sure, a bad thing, and causes indigestion, and if expense is no object it is best to stick to the wild duck meal until the ducks are weaned to corn; if, however, you do decide to feed on barley meal, it is a good plan to mix a little bran with it, in the proportion of one part bran to four of barley meal. ”

“ Nothing can be better for ducks to nest in than the corners of an outhouse or old stable, always provided that you have killed off the rats.
In such places wind and rain can do no harm, and practically every egg hatches out.
The roots of hollow willow trees are favourite nesting places, but a bit dangerous if too near the water's edge. Many birds delight in straw stacks, and if disturbed will simply go up higher, so as to be out of the way of cattle or human beings.
I believe that if you can get your birds to nest in outhouses or stacks, you will get a much better hatch out than elsewhere. ”

“ Ducks are very fond of maize; it certainly brings them on quicker than anything else, and I have had young drakes of the year in full plumage on August 1, when maize has been the only corn used. It is, however, too fattening, I think, and a bit apt to make the birds lazy. I do not believe that birds fed solely on maize fly so well or are as good for the table as those whose diet is composed of a mixture of wheat, barley, and maize. The birds must be encouraged to seek their natural food, as only by this means will the wild duck's flavour be retained. ”

“ Many people put all their wild ducks' eggs under hens, and do not allow the ducks themselves to sit. I think this is a mistake, as nature gives to ducks far greater powers to hatch their own eggs than she gives to hens. The daily bath, already alluded to, and the mass of warm soft feathers, greatly assist in generating heat, and in preventing the eggs from getting chilled.
The old duck treads more lightly when going on to her nest, and certainly breaks far fewer eggs than the hen does. ”

“ A last word as regards the numbers you should retain as a breeding stock. This largely depends on the size of the piece of water you own and the amount of food it can supply to your birds. If your stock is too large, your birds will do a lot of harm to the meadows adjoining the water, and you must bear in mind that the possession of the goodwill of the farmers round is the second secret of success. Ensure this, and you don't get eggs stolen, and, better still, you are informed of the whereabouts of any truant ducks that may be nesting away from home. ”

“ There is sure to be a line of willow trees of some sort or other near the water's edge, and it is over these the ducks must be made to fly. Provided that a small clump of low willows, or other cover, is planted some distance from the rearing field, with the high willow trees standing between the two, it is quite easy, by occasionally feeding in this little cover, to accustom the birds to look on it as their sanctuary, and when liberated from their enforced confinement they will make straight for it, and over the tops of the intervening trees. ”

“ A matter of considerable importance is the nature of the soil on which the ducks are to be reared. Let it be light and well drained, and the ground undulating, so that it may be always possible to shelter the young birds from a harsh wind. A high bank, such as that alluded to in Chapter I., is often of the greatest assistance in sheltering them, particularly when they get a little older.
The ducklings must be put on some grass, as otherwise the hens will scratch for food, and generally damage one or two of their brood. ”

“ As winter comes on the ducks' natural instincts have begun to assert themselves, and regularly at dusk, heads will go up, and a peculiar uneasiness manifest itself: very shortly the birds will fly off, after one or two preliminary circles round, to the feeding ground they have selected, though if properly fed they will not go far. All that has to be done is to observe where the ducks feed, and place the guns either in the line of flight between the birds' home and their feeding ground or round the feeding ground itself. ”

“ Their presence gives confidence to the ducklings, and their sharp warning "quacks" tell them when danger is about, and also emphasise the fact that there do exist such things as gulls, carrion crows, cats, dogs, &c., and that in future the young hopefuls must look out for themselves. Willow trees planted at the water's edge and kept about five to six feet high form admirable protection from bad weather and winged vermin, and also give welcome shelter from the heat of the sun, whilst they undoubtedly add to the amount of insect life in the run. ”

“ The young ducks are now three or four days old, and have got into the way of running out of the coop and into the run for their food and water. They have overcome their early shyness, and on the appearance of the keeper speedily show themselves. A little fine crissel and flint grit can now with advantage be added to the meal, and some sand, which acts as a digestive, placed in the water and on the grass. Never give them more than they can eat. Nothing is worse than stale food left about ”

“ Broom is about the best cover you can use for sheltering a nest, and is most adaptable. Practical experience, and one's early failures, teach one more than anything else how a nest should be made, and yet often when you are satisfied that you have selected a most suitable spot for nesting purposes, you will find a duck occasionally preferring a miserably draughty position for her nest within a yard of the snug retreat you have devised for her. ”

“ The chief point I am anxious to impress on my readers is, don't let your birds get cold and wet; if you do, ground is lost which can never be recovered. A capital plan is to cover some portion of the run with sacking or a waterproof sheet to form a shelter against excessive heat or a sudden hail-storm. The most delicate time, in my opinion, is just when they are getting their shoulder feathers, and if you get them safely through this period the worst is over. ”

“ On a small piece of water, one drake to every three ducks will do very well, but if you have at your disposal a large lake, I am strongly in favour of plenty of drakes, say fifteen drakes to every twenty ducks. Most of the birds will pair, though occasionally one finds as many as three drakes paying court to one duck, and one drake taking away two or even three ducks. ”

“ This curse to young ducks is most prevalent in wet weather, and it is therefore most necessary to constantly change the ground so as to keep the birds as clean as possible; if once the old bird gets dirty, it is good-bye to the general good health of her brood.
The only remedy, if matters become serious, is to get some tepid water and soap, and carefully wash the affected places with a soft sponge, taking care to free the down or feathers which have adhered to the skin. A hot sunny day is the best for the purpose, as the young birds then have every chance of getting dry. ”

“ If the ducks are well and regularly fed, they should lay an average of twenty-three eggs apiece during the nesting season. We generally feed ours on maize, as it is less wasteful than smaller grain, and the birds lay well on it. One can, I think, count on 80 per cent. of the eggs hatching, and of birds actually hatched you ought, in a fair season, to rear 85 per cent. Having taken my reader as far as the hatching out of the young birds, I propose in my next chapter, which I consider the most important in the book, to deal with the question of their food, up to the time they are fit to shoot. ”

“ It is now time to enlarge them altogether, but before doing so liberate a few of the least vicious of the old ducks. These birds very soon take charge of a certain number of young ones, and directly the wire is pulled up will teach them where to look for food. It is a very pretty sight to see an old bird swimming at the head of twenty or thirty young ducklings, who form a compact mass behind her, and always accompany her in foraging expeditions. She it is who warns them that it is nearly feeding time ”

“ It is most important at this early stage that the food be not of too sloppy a nature, otherwise the birds soon get in a terrible state, and absolutely coated with their food. This always leads to their heads, eyes, and often their backs becoming sticky, and in the end spells a big death roll. Very little water, and that pond water, should be given during the early stages; the colder the weather the less they ought to have to drink, and it is often a good plan to take the chill off what little is given them. Don't forget to give the hens food and water twice a day. ”

“ Previous to placing a number of coops containing the old ducks close together, ascertain carefully whether there are any vicious ones amongst them—some are very savage, and will immediately peck to death any unwary little one which enters a coop not its proper home. It is best in these cases to isolate the old bird and her brood altogether, if you have plenty of room, or, failing that, to place her by herself in one corner of the run. ”

“ When your shoot is over, and the season is drawing to its close, the only work left amongst the ducks is to select the breeding stock for next season.
The best to keep are long and well-furnished birds, as they always fly better, and lay more eggs than the short thick-set variety: [Pg 80] they should have rakish-looking heads, with long bills, chrome yellow tinged with green in the case of the drake, and dull brown fringed with bright orange in the case of the duck. ”

“ If you are unable to catch the drakes, the best plan is to put food and water near the nest of the sitting birds, the pan containing the water being large enough to allow her to wash herself thoroughly, as it is the daily tub which generates heat, and assists most materially the successful hatching of the young birds. ”

“ Ducks are extraordinarily good barometers, and by their behaviour on the water invariably give warning of coming rain or storm.
No one who has kept wild ducks long has failed to notice their peculiar uneasiness before bad weather. ”

“ If the lake winds about a good deal the ducks will probably cut across country, and in any case can be easily made to do so by being flagged in or by being fed in a certain direction; there will very likely be some belt of trees in their line of flight, and if so some delightful sport may be had at high birds, the guns being placed in the open and well back from the trees, unless the birds are very shy. ”

“ It is the most artificial of all, and is most suitable in cases where the ground does not [Pg 70] lend itself well for high birds, or the host is not a man of unlimited means, but is fortunate enough to have the shooting rights over a fine stretch of water. The ducks probably vary considerably in size and age, as the owner, not having a large breeding stock, has not been able to put down a large number of eggs at once.
The time has, however, come, when he has sufficient to give his friends a very nice shoot. ”

“ Ducks are very cunning at hatching time, and unless the keeper is quick and observant, will frequently give him the slip, and get off with their brood to the water, where more than half of them will probably fall a prey to rats and pike. ”

“ One very important point which I have omitted to mention is the necessity to kill down all rats, hedge-hogs, moles, and weasels in the vicinity of your breeding places. Rats are the ducks' worst enemies, and I have known one old doe rat which had no less than sixteen wild ducks' eggs in her larder when she was dug out and killed. ”

“ You should get the ducks on to corn as soon as possible, and teach them to eat it in shallow water; they don't eat it so fast if this plan is adopted, are less liable to get indigestion, and in searching for the food are constantly drinking water at the same time as the food, as well as a certain amount of grit, sand, &c. Ducks must have water with their food, and the sooner they are trained to take corn and water together, the better will their meals be digested ”

“ To return to the run at the water's edge, let it be assumed that the birds have been ten days to a fortnight in their new home, have become thoroughly accustomed to it, and naturally look upon it as the place where food is to be obtained at stated times. ”

“ In this valley the guns are placed shortly before the feeding hour, and as that time approaches small detachments of ducks will wing their way across the valley for their meal, and give most sporting shots. It is, of course, essential that the resting-place by day and the feeding ground are not too close together, as if this is the case many birds hearing the firing close at hand may be scared from coming to their food. ”

“ Ducks love to nest in stacks, and I have known a pinioned bird work her way up the side of a stack and make her nest fifteen feet from the ground. In stacks birds can burrow so deep that no weather, however inclement, can damage the eggs. ”

“ Care must be taken to set them free amongst surroundings they know, otherwise they are cowed like a rabbit liberated away from its burrow. It is also advisable to place some obstacle across their line of flight, and about sixty yards in front of the guns, so as to make the birds rise well. The last plan has the obvious disadvantage that the ducks must be cramped to a certain extent by their imprisonment in the hampers, and it savours too much of the artificial to ever prove a complete success. ”

“ An experienced eye can generally tell, by the unusually elevated appearance of the duck on her nest, when she has hatched, and sometimes by creeping quietly forward the little birds may be heard chirping, though they instantly cease on receiving a warning from their mother. ”

“ It will generally be found, however, that if any of your ducks are without mates, wild birds will soon come and pair with them, and this is, of course, just what you want. I have adopted this principle for some time, and practically all the eggs collected are fertile. It will be found that at times—particularly whilst the ducks are sitting—the drakes are a great nuisance, but at this period one can always catch them and shut them up. ”

“ As they will lay many more eggs than they can successfully hatch, pick up some eggs at intervals from the nests, taking care always to leave two or three in each nest. These eggs should be placed on a large tray or shallow box, lined with hay, sawdust, or other suitable material. It is not advisable to place them touching each other, and care should be taken to turn them daily; if this is done the eggs will keep well for three weeks, by which time you have collected a sufficient number to put under hens, however small your stock may be. ”

“ At this time it is best to wire off a piece of land and water, making the whole into one large run, and taking care that there is some shelter on land for the young birds. It is a good plan to bring down the old birds, coops and all, to their temporary home, keeping the mothers shut up in the coops for the present. ”

“ On many occasions I have noticed an egg left bare on the top of the downy covering which ducks are so careful to leave over their eggs when they go off to feed, and these eggs, if taken away and placed under a hen, have invariably hatched. To the best of my recollection I have never known eggs disappear from a nest containing eggs up to thirteen in number ”