DUCKS AND GEESE 



Any tendency toward a white bib or a white ring 

 around the neck of both sexes must likewise be 

 avoided. Greenish or mottled bills must be avoided 

 in ducks which are to be used as breeders. Not much 

 trouble is experienced in the bill of drakes which as 

 a rule comes good. Any blue cast in the feathers on 

 the rump and back of both sexes must be selected 

 against. As a rule the females of this breed tend to 

 be better colored than the males. At certain periods 

 of the moult the head coloring of the drakes be- 

 comes a good buff color and later when the moult is 

 complete, it changes to a copper color. When 

 hatched the ducklings are a creamy yellow. 



The Runner. The type of this breed is quite dif- 

 ferent from that of the other breed of ducks and 

 type is very important. The Runner wants to be de- 

 cidedly upstanding and to be very reachy. It should 

 have very slim slender lines. The neck should be 

 straight and the head should be carried at right 

 angles to the neck. The bill should be perfectly 

 straight on top and on a line with the skull showing 

 absolutely no tendency to be dished. The legs of 

 this breed are longer than those of other ducks and 

 this accounts for the fact that they run rather than 

 waddle when they move about. It is from this fact 

 that they get their name. They are very active and 

 are troublesome about crawling through fences. 

 They are good layers and non-sitters and they have 

 often been called the Leghorns of the duck family. 

 It must be remembered, however, that while they 



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