| Preface |
| List of Illustrations. |
| PART I—DUCKS |
| Chapter. | | Page. |
| I. | Extent of the Industry—Opportunities | [3] |
| Present Extent of the Industry—Different Types of Duck Raising—Opportunities for Duck Raising—Prices for Breeding Stock—Ducks for Ornamental Purposes. |
| II. | Breeds and Varieties—How to Mate to Produce Exhibition Specimens—Preparing Ducks for the Show—Catching and Handling | [9] |
| Breeds of Ducks—Classification of Breeds—Marking the Ducks—Nomenclature—Distinguishing the Sex—Size—Popularity of Breeds—Egg Production—Size of Duck Eggs—Color of Eggs—Broodiness—General Considerations in Making the Mating—Making the Mating—The Pekin—The Aylesbury—The Rouen—The Cayuga—The Call—The Gray Call—The White Call—The Black East India—The Muscovy—The Colored Muscovy—The White Muscovy—The Blue Swedish—The Crested White—The Buff—The Runner—The Fawn and White Runner—The White Runner—The Penciled Runner—Preparing Ducks for the Show—Catching and Handling Ducks—Packing and Shipping Hatching Eggs. |
| III. | Commercial Duck Farming—Location—Estimate of Equipment and Capital Necessary in Starting the Business | [42] |
| Distribution—Stock Used—Location of Plant—Making a Start in Duck Farming—Equipment, Capital, etc. Required—Lay-out or Arrangement of the Plant—Land Required—Number of Breeders required—Housing Required for Breeders—Incubator Capacity—Brooder Capacity—Fattening Houses or Sheds—Feed Storage—Killing and Picking House—Resident—Horse Power—Feeding Track—Electric Lights—Water Supply—Fences—Labor—Invested Capital—Working Capital—Profits. |
| IV. | Commercial Duck Farming—Management of the Breeding Stock | [55] |
| Age of Breeders—Distinguishing Young from Old Ducks—Selection of Breeding Ducks—Number of Females to a Drake—Securing Breeding Drakes—Houses and Yards for Breeders—Bedding and Cleaning the Breeding Houses—Cleaning the Breeding Yards—Water Yards for Breeders—Feeding the Breeders—Egg Production—Time of Marketing Breeders—Disease—Insect Pests—Dogs. |
| V. | Commercial Duck Farming—Incubation | [70] |
| Kinds of incubators used—Incubator Cellar—Incubator Capacity Required—Age of Hatching Eggs—Care of Hatching Eggs—Selecting the Eggs for Hatching—Temperature—Position of Thermometer—Testing—Turning the Eggs—Cooling the Eggs—Moisture—Fertility—Hatching—Selling Baby Ducks. |
| VI. | Commercial Duck Farming—Brooding and Rearing the Young Stock | [80] |
| Removing the Newly Hatched Ducklings to the Brooder House—Brooder Houses Required—Brooder House No. 1—Construction of House—Heating Apparatus—Pens—Equipment of the Pens—Grading and Sorting the Ducklings—Cleaning and Bedding the Pens—Ventilation—Other Types of Brooder Houses—Length of Time in Brooder House No. 1—Brooder House No. 2—Brooder House No. 3—Yard Accommodations for Ducklings—Shade—Feeding—Lights for Ducklings—Pounds of Feed to Produce a Pound of Market Duck—Water for Young Ducks—Age and Weight when Ready for Market—Cripples—Cleaning the Yards—Critical Period with Young Ducks—Disease Prevention—Gapes or Pneumonia—Fits—Diarrhoea—Lameness—Sore Eyes—Feather Eating or Quilling—Rats—Cooperative Feed Association. |
| VII. | Commercial Duck Farming—Marketing | [102] |
| Proper Age to Market—Weights at Time of Marketing—The Last Feed for Market Ducks—Sorting Market Ducklings—Killing—Scalding—Picking—Dry Picking—Cooling—Packing—Shipping—Cooperative Marketing Association—Prices for Ducks—Shipping Ducks Alive—Saving the Feathers—Prices and Uses of Duck Feathers—Marketing Eggs. |
| VIII. | Duck Raising, on the Farm | [120] |
| Conditions Suitable for Duck Raising—Size of Flock—Making a Start—Selecting the Breed—Age of Breeding Stock—Size of Matings—Breeding and Laying Season—Management of Breeders—Housing—Feeding—Water—Yards—Care of Eggs for Hatching—Hatching the Eggs—Brooding and Rearing—Feeding the Ducklings—Water for Ducklings—Distinguishing the Sexes—Marketing the Ducks—Diseases and Insect Pests. |
| PART II—GEESE |
| IX. | Extent of the Industry—Opportunities | [141] |
| Nature of the Industry—Opportunities for Goose Raising—Goose Raising as a Business for Farm Women—Geese as Weed Destroyers—Objections to Geese. |
| X. | Breeds and Varieties—How to Mate to Produce Exhibition Specimens—Preparing Geese for the Show—Catching and Handling | [147] |
| Breeds of Geese—Nomenclature—Size—Popularity of the Breeds—Egg Production—Size of Goose Eggs—Color of Goose Eggs—Broodiness—Size of Mating—Age of Breeders—Marking Young Geese—General Considerations in Making the Mating—Making the Mating—The Toulouse—The Embden—The African—The Chinese—The Brown Chinese—The White Chinese—The Wild or Canadian—The Egyptian—Preparing Geese for the Show—Catching and Handling Geese—Packing and Shipping Hatching Eggs—Prices for Breeding Stock. |
| XI. | Management of Breeding Geese | [164] |
| Range for Breeders—Number of Geese to the Acre—Water for Breeding Geese—Distinguishing the Sex—Purchase of Breeding Stock—Time of Laying—Housing—Yards—Feeding the Breeding Geese. |
| XII. | Incubation | [172] |
| Care of Eggs for Hatching—Methods of Incubation—Period of Incubation—Hatching with Chicken Hens—Hatching with Geese—Breaking Up Broody Geese—Hatching with an Incubator—Moisture for Hatching Eggs—Hatching. |
| XIII. | Brooding and Rearing Goslings | [178] |
| Methods of Brooding—Brooding with Hens or Geese—Length of Time Brooding is Necessary—Artificial Brooding—General Care of Growing Goslings—Feeding the Goslings—Percentage of Goslings Raised—Rapidity of Growth—Diseases. |
| XIV. | Fattening and Marketing Geese | [187] |
| Classes of Geese Marketed—Markets and Prices—Prejudice Against Roast Goose—Methods of Fattening Geese for Market—Pen Fattening—Noodling Geese—Methods Used on Fattening Farms—Selling Geese Alive—Killing—Picking—Packing for Shipment—Saving the Feathers—Plucking Live Geese for their Feathers. |
| Index | | [215] |