Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-08-14
new BREED OF FOWL !
BROOD OF DUCKS MATCHED ny
HEN ARE QUEER.
Minnesota Man Has Introduced Some
thing Rare in the Game
Line Mistaken for
Swans.

st. Paul. Minn.--It has remained
for an enterprising farmer of Beltrami
county to breed successfully new
waterfowl, which promises to take its
Place In the front ranks of the game
birds of the state, and which has al.
ready caused considerable embarrass,
ment to Two Bemidji nimrods.
Charles Saxrud owns farm In
Maple Ridge township, about 15 miles
northwest of Bemidji. Last year he
decided to raise flock of ducks, and
with that end in view he secured a
pair of ducks, and in the nature Of
things the female was DESTROYS of
Matching out a brood of her own kind
and she was given an even dozen of
nice eggs with which to begin bust.
ness. The duck sat industriously on
these eggs for five days, WREN she was
accidentally killed.
Mr.. Saxrud was at his wits end as
to what to do with that setting OF
ducks eggs. He had an old Bramah
hen that had been persistent in set
ting on door knobs and any other old
thing that was lying around loose, and
he put her to work on the duck eggs.
The eggs finally produced eight small
hairy fowls that caused great con
sternation to the old hen, but she
adopted the whole bunch and took
good care of them until they happened
to get down to the lake one day. The
ducks Immediately took to the water,
and the hen raised a great connection
as her adopted youngsters swan
about.
This was repeated for several days,
until Mr.. Saxrud, in desperation as
to how to allay the concern of the
hen, decided to tie pieces of rubber
to her henship's feet, which would
allow her to swim with her brood.
The scheme worked to perfection,
there being perfect web foot. The
brood was raised and is still part Of
Mr.. Saxrud's flock.
This year when the old Brahma
exhibited signs of desiring another
family to look after he placed chicken
eggs under her. While she sat the
hen unused continually on those ducks
and the trouble she had with them
and her stress of mind evidently af-
fected the hatch. as when they came
out Of the shell they were exactly the
form OF chicken. with the exception
that they were provided with q ducks
bill and had webbed feet.
They were larger than ducks, but
had all their habits. They at once
took to the water, and Mr.. Saxrud
was again forced to provide the hen
with her rubber socks. The brood
developed rapidly and were soon
large. lusty fellows, nearly as large
as full grown chickens. One day
lately member of the board of alder.
men Of the city of Bemidji and the
clerk Of the district court made trip
up in Maple Ridge township for an
outing. They CHANGED to camp near
Saxrud's place, and while out one
afternoon espied at distance Sax.
rud's old hen and her brood swimming
along peacelly in little lake on the
farm.
The hunters could not exactly de-
eide what the fowl were, but finally
decided they were swans and let loose
two double barreled charges OF shot
in the bunch. They rowed out to get
their haul, when they made the dis
coyery that there was an old hen with
rubber tied around her feet and the
half-breed ducks. Just then Saxrud,
happened along, and it took consider.
able promises of refreshments on the
next trip to town before the shooters
were allowed to go. Only three Of the
entire bunch of chicken ducks We're
saved from humiliation, but Mr.. Sax.
rud thinks he has enough left to form
a nucleus for a large flock of the new
variefv