yes and necks. Whenever a duck is found which is injured she
should be removed from the flock. Difficulty of this sort is most
prevalent about the 1st of March. If the trouble gets very bad it can be
stopped to some extent by cutting back the upper bills of the drakes
about one-fourth of an inch with a tinsnip or by reducing the proportion
of drakes.
_Securing Breeding Drakes._ It is common practice on duck plants to
avoid inbreeding by securing drakes from some other flock each year.
This is usually accomplished by buying the drakes outright from some
neighboring duck farmer. It may also be accomplished by purchasing a few
eggs for hatching in order to secure new blood. In any particular
community there is a tendency for the duck farmers to trade breeding
drakes among themselves for a period of years with the result that they
all have much the same blood and not a great deal of benefit is obtained
from securing the drakes from some neighbor's flock. It is undoubtedly
good practice to go farther afield occasionally for a supply of breeding
drakes. In purchasing stock for new blood be sure that it is as good as
the home stock and better if it can be found. It will do no good to
purchase and use inferior stock and may do much harm.

Houses and Yards for Breeders
The breeding flocks are usually confined to breeding yards. The size of
these yards depends upon the size of the breeding flock but large yards
are not required. A yard for 200 breeders is not as a rule larger
than 100 by 200 feet including the water part of the yard. Houses and
yards should be located on sand if possible as this is easier to keep
clean and therefore keeps the birds in better condition. Occasional
flocks of breeding ducks are allowed their liberty but this is not
common practice nor is it good practice unless the surroundings are
clean and the ducks do not have access to stagnant mud or refuse in
which they can work. If ducks work too much in this kind of material
they will eat more or less of it which injures the eggs for hatching
purposes.
Many different styles of houses are used for breeders, some of which are
decidedly more elaborate than is necessary. A very satisfactory
economical house is one 20 feet deep, 7 feet high in front and 4 feet at
back, with a shed roof. This can be constructed of tongue and groove
material or may be made of unmatched stuff and covered with paper. A
house of this proportion makes a good light house and it can be carried
in length according to the