cold. The frequency with which
bedding is necessary will depend upon the weather. In winter it may at
times be necessary to bed every day. In May it may be necessary only
twice a week and still later in the season only once a week. In wet
weather the ducks track in lots of mud and water and frequent bedding
helps to keep the eggs clean. The houses are cleaned out only once a
year and this is usually done after the ducks have stopped laying. To
clean out the houses while the ducks are laying would disturb them and
tend to stop their egg production.
_Cleaning the Breeding Yards._ The yards should be cleaned whenever they
need it, that is, whenever they begin to get sloppy or sticky. It is a
matter of judgment to decide when this is necessary. The character of
the soil influences this, as sandy yards absorb the droppings better and
do not need cleaning as frequently as heavier soils. In the yards for
the breeding ducks, or the water yards, this will as a rule not be over
2 or 3 times a season. In dry weather cleaning is accomplished by
sweeping the yards with a broom. In wet weather the droppings spread
over the yard and are packed down by the ducks' feet until they form a
layer of putty-like material which cannot be swept off but is scraped
off by means of a hoe.
_Water Yards for Breeders._ Formerly it was the consensus of opinion
that breeders needed water in which they could swim in order to keep in
good breeding condition and to give the best results in fertility of the
eggs. At present it is not considered necessary to have sufficient
water to permit swimming although many breeders prefer to do this and
feel that they get better results from it. However, breeding ducks have
been and are being kept successfully in dry yards where water is
supplied to them simply in an amount sufficient to allow them to drink
and to clean themselves. Where water yards are provided this should not
be on stagnant water but there should be some circulation of the water
so as to keep it clean and fresh. Where the lay of the land is such that
it is not possible to run all the yards down to a stream for this
purpose it is sometimes possible to dig a canal or ditch from the stream
to the yards so as to allow the ducks access to the water. Where the
yards can extend into the water it saves a great deal of labor or
considerable expense in equipment as it is not then necessary to provide
the ducks with drinking water by means of some artificial arrangement
such as a concrete gutte