Show RUNNER IS MOST profitable OF DUCKS otis IV A IMMENSE DUCK FARM ON LONG ISLAND by y ANNA GALIGHER it 1 la only ly ato a few years yeara since face the RU run oer iter duck first made its ita appearance in america they came am originally fee from the west ladles indies w where here they he have be been raised for years CO chiefly as egg prodie ers era derive their name mans irmin from their romy upright carries carriage lu in color they are am fawn and white with fill yellow fellow hank and ad light green gree bill the latter being sometimes splashed splash I 1 it with black tile body Is 19 long and narrow and Is carried la in an almost upright position week Is fe long and it thin with finely turned formed head the runner Is we think not only th the a most beautiful but alio 11 the most at profitable of nil all the durk duck family they love have the pekin beaten a mile nod ad are steadily gaining in favor th the R runner e Is T rather sms small 1 fully matured dark ducks big from tour to five pounds drakes from live five to six pounds live weights but they grow very rapidly maff abile young and or are to raise what they lack 1 in wight weight I 1 Is more than made up tor for in their other good qualities to begin with they are am very pro it fie 1 invers rivers beginning when they are about six months old their eggs tire are pure white mid and a zittle ikle larger than a plymouth rock hen hens a eggs A are superior they are superior in quality quality to day any dock bucka a eggs that ve me have ever eaten mw and as a rule they bring a better price 1 la the markets a th the duckling duc klings reach much ft a Darke taid eize about twelve weeks 18 old when forced they will milt weigh four to iha five pounds pound at two me months montha the meat meat of a runner Is of superior quality fire fine 1 in grin gram juicy and ad excel lent 1 in fl flagor c the eggs egg are am in 1 good demand ano ile in in winter when eggs are high the runner la is on the job any enter person peram co can work mark up a trade among hotels and ad restaurants that prove prote highly profitable thre is no danger of strong earn corn for peat fon Us comparatively few poultry balsera have taken up this branch of the ind industry try notwithstanding the alt that all kinds of poultry prod nets are brining bringing unheard of prices in the open ope market a ciket mck culture 1 in the past be has been more 0 or r le les neglected owing oving to tile general belief that ducks cannot be successfully raised without a stream or pond of water llie fact Is how hom ever r that the jiunnes reg requires ultes only enni clent I 1 cut water let to think tim they are small feeders ns as compared with other ducks on one alki will consume commile as much feed as two runners cd ad th then ut not be th fied unlike the former r they are great forgers for agers in summer the hie room eunner aben given free range age will find the greater part of his bis living in the fields field but of cour course when being fattened for fee map inal let tha they need red sma some grain it would mould be well to bay here t that hubster for hea best t results result the thay grain should in be adte r gr ground if or at cooked duck 1 ralser fall fail A at great st many uy would wid be duck kalsem fall because they insist upon mum feeding the duck both a old I 1 it and young whole grain the matured balds con can get along but the the young oung ones most certainly cannot don dan I 1 try to ralie raise ducklings duc klings on whole min cheat cranked to it corn and d ch chick ck feed b ut ahey simply cn C cannot n 0 f digest t it A about the only kind of grit that a y young g do amk will ili eat cut la is bind ad and ad whole or cracked grin grain a requires something sharper titan band ad to grind it IL those these mho w ho hive bivs runner eunner ducks wild do well to liap ahr them ivr ovar w bin in if ler or and ad see 1 w what 1 1 1 the they ahe will 11 d do I 1 toward 0 m 1 it when kee beeping OR the m egg basket w t liddy biddy Is I 1 on a strike begin by on culling in g in ont nil arp surplus doralea is k 1 and I undersized specimens it if th the ducks docs are arc expected to furnish eggs botching batching put purposes oses now next ift spring for drakes 1 la the time to procure drahea from other thick flock some it Is not a good plan to IP beep I P ca closely IY related birds one on rake drake for every eight it bucka it la Is about right been a or drakes may bupt be appt tor fee seven years but of ducks mill not dot lay 1 BO I well who when duck rit valsera a carl care few m due ot of theta eliat age ilythe old drakes lee net unless they happen to I 1 heep cco to be he be high pric ad III barda rd to in many Bec act tlona a ur bunner due ducios ere are ko scarce w that good bring at on any price asked 20 feet with a yard at A house 15 by large enough for thirty is inched mill be five or forty ducks to stay in at night and duties during the cold days in winter inexpensive H house a if there la Is no DO suitable house on the place a can be rutlt built at small cost rough bough lumber may be used let for the floor and ana siding the rafters plates and posts may he be made of polls poles cut 1 in the woods A any kind of root of that will turn water mador will an owr aw r if the th house Is to be used for young duclus ducks during the spring and onner months there should be two large d dors doors ors one at each end it of the house hous or a door at one end suit and a window at the other some duck houles are built with the entire south side bide open small mesh poultry netting is I 1 nailed tied to the posts past and a heavy curtain Is I 1 attached inside the curtain contain Is to be used in cold weather As the snow la Is liable to drift in it will sometimes be necessary nece as ary to nail or tack the curtain to the floor boor and also to the sides plenty of oc straw on an the floor file it if it lg is several inches deep it need deed not be renewed every day we take a pitchfork and turn it or remove that which la badly soiled it is ia best to is keep beep e grything ery thing as a clean al ad possible the then there la Is less lee danger of die disease a ducks are am not troubled with lice and ad as a rule they are very healthy A flock duck or of f laying ducks should be fed four times a day when they loust to be kept housed their food should consist of both raw and cooked vegetables ege tables cornmeal ile bran beet a scraps I 1 raps stem cut clover clever etc the R ground it grain should be moistened listened with milk or water mater |