For 12 to 21 days, ducks and geese are subjected to gavage—every day, between 2 and 4 pounds of grain and fat are forced down the birds’ throats by means of an auger in a feeding tube. The tube is pushed 5 inches down their throats, and more food than they want is gunned into their stomachs. If the mushy corn sticks, a stick is sometimes used to force it down.