Middletown transcript., 1914-03-21

Among all the openings for, making
money on the farm l doubt that there
is another to which so many are look
ing with eager interest and with such
real hope as hundreds are giving to
the raising of Indian Runner Ducks.
This is largely because nearly every
farm produces eggs, every family in
our land eats eggs and the Runner is
pre-eminently an egg-producer.
Given q. duck that will lay 200 eggs
far more easily than any hen can do
it, and the fact that the eggs of the
mature bird are one-half larger thai.
those of the average hen, and we
have a proposition calculated to make
any egg producer sit up and open his
eyes, and one which every egg pro-
ducer ought to try out to see whether
for him the Indian Runner is better
money-producer than the hen.
Runners Ahead Of All Others.
A clause from a letter that came to
me the first Of the week in December
shows how the Runner gets in its
work Of charming its owners. They
are beauties, and if I don't watch out,
lose interest in my chickens, wrote
my correspondent. The chickens"
as it happens are fancy Wyandottes
of high grade. so that the expression
speaks very strongly for the Runners.
A few days ago heard two part
ners in farm work discussing plans
for 1912, ways and means, etc. IF
we carry out what we have planned, :"
said one, the Runners will pay off
that mortgage next year (nearly ST.
OOO)." They were planning to keep
as stock birds about a dozen brakes
With their mates.
OF course this number of ducks
would not go far toward paying a
thousand-dollar lebt if they were pro-
ducing market eggs only, but it is as
simple as the multiplication table that
the duck that will give an income Of
$3.50 from market eggs can be kept in
large enough numbers on any farm to
bring $1,000.
high. l have allowed 13 dozen per
duck, which is just about $50 and which
l know can be obtained with good
handling even where large numbers
are raised. The Runners have an
actual agricultural-college record Of
above 200 eggs for three straight sue
cessive years, in small pens. Some
where between $50 and 200, l think,
the production of the average flock
must fall
There are reports of 24O and more
as averages for large flocks in this
country; but l cannot vouch for them,
for only know of them through hear
say. A commission merchant in New
York told me that while there was
prejudice against duck eggs, even
now Runner eggs would bring an aver
age of SO cents the year around in the
New York markets. I have letter
from one man, with some special op-
portunity, saying that he gets so
cents per dozen the year around.
Give Runners a Chance.
Where there is so much promise
and so much straight performance in
so many hands, even thus early in the
Runner history in this country l think
It is folly FOR anyone to let such a
chance pass without trying it out to
see if it is for them, provided, of
course. that they are interested in
poultry and can take good care of the
hocks. A drake and two ducks can
be had for five dollars for cheap util-
ity birds, and on up to any price one
wants to pay, and this is an insignif-
can investment for the returns which
may be received
One very large breeder says that It
is easy to have Runners laying in four
months time from Matching. Amy
one can do as well with good care"
Most people, however, don't find it as
easy as it looks on paper.
Probably five and one-half months
is nearer the average, depending on
earliness Of Matching to some extent.
But L think almost every one can
raise them to nearly full size in ten
or twelve weeks, while only here
and there a person can make a chick