The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-04-27
DUCK-RA|S|NG IN
THE OLD dominion
Indian Runners May Be Some
thing OF Frauds-Nicws OF
an Expert.
NOT WHAT CRACKED UP TO BE
Ducks Not SO Clean as Hens
anyhow, and Not So
Profitable.
NOT WHAT CRACKED UP TO BE

l have taken occasion to warn some
of my Henrco and Chesterfield County
friends TO curb their enthusiasm about
the Indian Runner ducks until they
had given the "varmints" n fair trial.
had lurking suspicion that their
enthusiasm was more a creature OF
some rather brash advertising litera
ture than of actual observation and
experience.
May Ellis writes for the Farm and
Firesidc an article on Indian Runner
ducks, which. in a way, backstands my
early suspicious, and | am going to
give her article just as find II.
May Ellis says:
Writers about Indian Runner ducks.
or any other Kind of ducks for that
matter. almost Invariably present the
agreeable side of duck-raising. OF
course. one knows there is another side.
! as there always is to everything, and.
! is inclined to hesitate, feeling some
! doubt a to how unpleasant that other
phase of the matter may be. have
| experimental little with the Indian
Runner duck and have discovered some
! of the disaSreeablc features of the bus
F, mess
Found Them TO he Wild.
I In the first place. instead of swarm
ing about me until am obliged to push
them out of the way. as my hens do. my
flock OF ducks are in perpetual state
of suspicion as to my intentions toward
them. They hutter and sduawk and
rush madly 10 remote corners every
time | enter their pen.
The other day | exchanged some
brakes with Il ncighbor. Discouraged
with previous attempts, | turned the
atching operation over to him. This
was how he accomplished 1T: ! pointed
out the individual to be caught; he
fixed his eye upon ii. made wild
| L., "A
emerged triumphant. bearing the strug-
Cling victim from among his shouting
brethren This was one occasion upon
which 7 yield the honors to masculine
skill. though perhaps IL was merely due
. to the advantages of masculine cos
tune.
It was sufficiently difficult per-
Torrance. anyhow. In moving the
whole flock, of course. one never at
: tcmpts catching. but drives them AZ
gently as possible whenever a chanst
OF place is necessary.
The second point is that it is mucf
: Harder to keep ducks clean than hens
5 Mine have house with a DIRT fioor
: but across one end have laid boards
: and put hay or straw there for sleep
d ing place. This bedding needs to b.
= renewed almost as often as for cattl
+ or horses, for the ducks tread 1T i'll
c night or two to the blackness of mud
:, They sprinkle water, too. from thei
: drinking vessel until the dirt noor
n much like a we'll baked mud pie.
@ But. lastly, and this is a more impor
n tant consideration financially, there /
a certain knack to be learned in rails
n ing young ducks. In the summer
. 1911. from two settings of eggs,
y raised fourteen ducks; not 30 bad 70
a first attempt. Perhaps my couras
rose unduly. This last spring I trie
- three settings, Matching twenty eigh
. promising ducklings raised oni
II half OF these or just tho Same numbe
as the previous year. At least seve
q of my neighbors bought from one t
a three settings OF eggs from me- an
n four of them have reported the resul
II of their efforts. All the setting
u Matched well--eleyen or twelve eaci
3. One experienced chicken-ratser state
\ - lContinued on Sixth Paxe.l fl.