The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-23
Correct Care and Feeding Based Directly On the Habits of Indian Runner Ducks
Sympathetic Care and Common Sense Feeding Make the Winning g Combination
By c. s. VALENTINE Author and Practical POultryman.

(CopyrIght, 19l6.)
 l The care of Indian Runners falls under 1 three heads: Ignorant care, experimental care and good common-sense care. It shows ignorant care where Runners are | handled in cramped, grassless quarters. with scant water, no shade, no meat, in- sufficient greens and with corn for the staple grain feed: Some suggestions for intelligent care are contained in the fol- lowing article.
 Proper care of all live stock depends
 directly on knowledge of their habits. l This is unusually true in the case of the Indian Runner, not far enough re- moved from the wild state to be anything else than a nervous, high-strung bird. Perhaps most ducks, though easily domes- ticated, will come under this classified tion to some extent, since even, the big Pekins exhibit similar traits.
 ESSENTIALS TO GOOD CARE The first essential to good care of Run ners is a quiet, even-tempered caretaker. These birds are so easily tanned that one type of handler fumes against them as always under foot" Yet enough of the wild instinct as to the necessity for
 sef-protecton remains to make them al- ways inordinately suspicious when in con- inement, for confinement typifies to
 them bonds and danger.
 Domestication is not necessarily close confinement. The feeder if friendly, be- comes to the Runners an intimate, to whom they tell their troubles, and for
 whom they develop respect and affection; to whose voice, also. they come to give instant obedience. The mature birds are very intelligent, never forgetting that which is once learned and seeming to
 make logical deductions. They are social to a degree, and though most exclusive l toward strangers, deeply attached to their own companions.
 The ducklings can be grown to the first feathering stage in close confine- ment. If they have a quiet, confiding mother, they will eat out of hand and
 walk all over'' the feeder. With the first feathering, at about seven weeks of age the instinct of self-preservation invariably develops, and at this time their life is reorganized on new basis,
 and they have to be retained
 HABITS AS AFFECTING LAYING 1 The Runners have an unusually strong sense Of locality, and become devoted | to their own quarters, whether first ! chosen by themselves or made theirs by | long association, though imposed on them | at the first. It is impossible to mix
 two lots upon first placing them together,
 though they accept new intimates after | becoming habituated to them. Because l they lay so much stress uopn their 1 wonted or favorite surroundings and take 1 so much solid comfort in the places and | conditions which they love, this has a very close bearing on their laying habits. l In small numbers, they can be worked each to her individual trap nest, but
 they do not like to be alone.
 l These birds show as much snug sat
 i isfaction as a kitten with what suits
 l them; and because they are so "set
 l in their own ways, it behooves the
 1 handler to turn this to his own bene- l fit, taking strict pains to humor them when possible. This means that he shall l on no account break up their innocent
 habits by changes of yarding, locality or companions, during the laying sea- | son, unless this be absolutely neces- sary to his other plans. For every 1 change of this nature is immediately | reflected in a drop in the egg record,
 unless strongly forced feeding is part
 of the system Even then, failure to eat may stop laying.
 FEEDING BASED ON HABITS | If a change of ownership be fol- | lowed by an increase of laying, 1t is because of bettered conditions or a l more congenial caretaker. But an i'm : 1 portant change is more likely to be 1 followed by period of apparent loss | of appetite, with consequent loss in 1 eggs, due partly, no doubt. to home , sickness, but partly to indifference to I unknown foods Mature stock not ac- | customed to corn will not eat 1t at l first. and may never learn to really | like it, although, where they are | brought up on it, corn is one of their | best-lilked grains.
 1 The feed for ducklings and adults