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Show ORIGIN OF INDIAN RUNNERS Came From West Indie and Are Thought by Many People to Be Most Profitable of Duck Family. (y ANNA CUU.IeniKK, Olile.) It is only comparatively a few years since the Indian Hunner ducks made their appearance In America. They came originally from the West Indies, In-dies, where they have been raised for years, chiefly as egg producers. They derive their name from their native land and racy, upright carriage. In color they are fawn and white, with, yellow shanks and light green bill; the latter being sometimes splashed with black. The body is long and narrow and Is carried in an almost upright position. posi-tion. Neck la long and thin, with finely fine-ly formed head. The Indian Kunner Is rather small, fully matured ducks weighing from four to live pounds. Drakes from five to six pounds, live weight. Hut they grow very rapidly while young and are easy to raise. What they lack In weight Is more thnn made up for In tbelr other good qualities. To begin with, they are very proline layers; beginning when about six months old. Their eggs are pure white and a little larger than those of a Plymouth Rock hen. They are superior in quality to auy Indian Runner Drake and Duck. duck's eggs that we have ever eaten, and as a rule, they bring higher prices in tho market. The ducklings reach a marketable size when about twelve weeks old. When forced, tbey will weigh tour to five pounds at two months. The meat of the Kunner is of superior su-perior quality; fine In the grain, Juicy. ! and excellent flavor. Hotels and restaurants res-taurants pay fancy prices for ducklings. duck-lings. The eggs are In good demand, also In winter when eggs are high the In dlan Runner Is "on the Job." Any enterprising pemon can work up trade among hotels and restaurant that should prove highly profitable. There la no great danger of strong competition, as comparatively few poultry raisers have taken up this branch of the industry, notwlthstand ing the fact that nearly all kinds ol poultry products are bringing un beard of prices In the open market. In summer the Indian Runner wbeo given free range will find the greatet part of his living in the fields. Rut ol course when being fattened for mar ket, they need some grain, it would be well to say right here that for best results the grain should be elthet ground or cooked. |