The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1917-03-23

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the West Indies. where they have been
raised for years. chiefly as egg produc-
ers. They derive their name from
their racy. upright carriage.
In color they are fawn and white,
with yellow shanks and light green
bill; the latter being sometimes
spashed with black.
The body is long and narrow and is
carried In an almost upright position.
Neck is long and thin. with finely
formed head.
The Runner is, we think, not only
the most beautiful but also the most
profitable of all the duck family. They
have the Pekin beaten a mile, and are
steadily gaining in favor.
The Runner is rather small. fully
matured ducks weighing from four to
five pounds; brakes from five TO six
pounds, live weight. But they grow
very rapidly while young and are easy
10 raise. What they lack in weight is
more than made up for in their other
good qualities.
To begin with, they are very pro-
life layers, beginning when they are
about six months old. Their eggs are
pure white and little larger than
Plymouth Rock hens.
Eggs Are Superior.
They are superior in quality to any
ducks eggs that we have ever eaten,
and as n rule they bring better price
in the markets.
The ducklinGs reach n marketable
size about twelve weeks old. When
forced they will weigh four to five
pounds at two months.
The meat of Runner is of superior
quality, fine in grain, juicy and excel
lent in flavor.
The eggs are in good demand also.
In winter when eggs are high, the
Runner is son the job" Any enter
prising person can work up q trade
among hotels and restaurants that
should prove highly profitable.
There is no daLge # strong COM
petition, as compal ative. : few poultry
raisers have taken up this branch of
the industry, Notwithstanding the fact
that nearly all kinds Of poultry prod
ucts are bringing unheard-of prices in
the open market.
Duck culture in the past has been
more or less neglected, owing to the
general belief that ducks cannot be
successfully raised without a stream
or pond of water. The fact is, how
ever, that the Runner requires only
sufficient water to drink.
They are small feeders as compared
with other ducks. One Pekin will
consume as much feed as two Runners,
and then not be satisfied. Unlike the
former. they are great foragers.
In summer the Runner, when given
free range, will find the greater part
Of his living in the fields. But of
course, when being fattened for mar
ket, they need some grain. 1t would
be well to say right here that for best
results the grain should be either
ground or cooked.
Duck Raisers Fail.
A great many would-be duck raisers
fail because they insist upon feeding
the ducks, both old and young, whole
grain.
The matured birds can get along, but
the young ones most certainly cannot.
Don't try to raise duclilings on whole
wheat, cracked corn and "chlck feed"
They simply cannot digest II. About
the only kind OF grit that young duck
will eat Is sand. and whole or cracked
grain requires something sharper
than sand to grind II.
Those who have Runner ducks
would do well to keep them over win
ter and see what they will do toward
keeping the egg basket filed when
biddy is on a strike.
Begin by culling out all surplus
brakes and undersized specimens. II
the ducks are expected TO furnish eggs
next spring for hatchlng purposes, now
is the time to procure brakes from
some other flock.
II h not a good plan to keep closely
related birds. One drake for every
seven or eight ducks Is about right.
brakes may be kept for seven years,
but ducks will not lay so well when
Of that age. Few duck raisers care
10 keep old drakes unless they happen
TO be hlgh-priced birds.
In many sections Runner ducks are
30 scarce that good specimens bring
almost any price asked.
house Is by 20 feet, with yard at
fsched. will be large enough for thirty