he year. During the season of flush production the yield will
ordinarily run in the neighborhood of 80%. The period of incubation is
28 days but 2 days more should be added to this to allow for cleaning
out the machines, etc., before starting another hatch. This means that
there would be 30 days between hatches. Figuring on 800 ducks with an
80% production for 30 days an incubator capacity of around 19,200 eggs
would be required.
_Brooder Capacity._ A brooder house capacity, where artificial heat can
be supplied, sufficient to take care of about half of the total output
of the plant at one time is necessary. This means there would have to
be on this plant a heated brooder house capacity for 15,000 ducklings.
About half of this number or 7500 would need accommodations in the
number 1 or warmest brooder house where the heat can be kept up to 65 or
70 degrees in the house itself, and warmer of course under the hover.
The other 7500 ducklings capacity would be in the number 2 house, that
is, a house where heat could be supplied in the early spring and where
the temperature could be run up to 60 degrees. Hovers in such a house
are not really needed but it is common to cover the hot waterpipes with
a platform in order to provide a runway on which one can run a wheel
barrow and thus simplify feeding. Ordinarily after May 1 no heat is
needed in the number 2 brooder house. The young ducks are usually 2 to 3
weeks old when they go into the number 2 house and they stay there for
about 2 weeks depending on the weather. Heat for the brooder houses is
supplied by means of hot water pipes and a coal burning stove such as
are used in brooder houses for chickens. A number 3 or cold brooder
house is also needed where ducklings can be housed and can be driven in
at night and in cold weather after they have graduated from the number 2
house. From the number 3 house a part of the ducklings are taken
directly to the yards where they are housed in open front sheds.
_Fattening Houses or Sheds._ In addition to the brooder houses, there
are required fattening houses or sheds for the ducks when they are moved
from the No. 3 brooder house to the yards. Suitable houses for this
purpose are 16 feet deep by 24 feet long. In front they are 5 feet high
and in the rear 3-1/2 feet. They are set on posts with a base board around
to make them tight. The fronts are entirely open and provided with
curtains which are used only in the winter to keep out the snow. The
ducklings are shut in these