RANKIN'S DUCK BOOK 



right, but at the same time thought it was poor economy 

 to grow nothing but hay on such land as that. 



The Muscovy Duck 



The Muscovy duck as its name implies is a denizen of 

 the Mediterranean and is a beautiful bird, quiet and inoffen- 

 sive in its habits, but cannot compare with the Pekin either in 

 fecundity or in market value. It cannot be induced to lay 

 so early in the season as the Pekin, thus forfeiting the high 

 spring prices. The eggs require about the same time to incu- 

 bate as the goose egg (five weeks) and they do not hatch well 

 in an incubator. It is some three weeks longer in maturing 

 than the Pekin and does not command as high a price in the 

 market by two cents per pound. I asked a prominent Boston 

 market man the reason for it. He said that the flesh was 

 coarser than that of the Pekin while the disparity in the size 

 of the sexes made them very unpopular, for instance, while 

 the drake will dress from eight to ten pounds the duck will 

 rate but four or five pounds. Said he, "I want none of them." 

 There are two varieties of this bird, white and colored. 



The Indian Runner Duck 



This bird is of recent introduction, and while it can 

 never be a first-class market bird on account of its small size 

 and dark pins, it has many good points. Its fecundity is 

 wonderful. There is, perhaps, no bird that will excel it as 

 an egg producer for market. Its patrons are enthusiastic in 

 its praise and claim an average yield of one hundred and 

 seventy-five to two hundred eggs per year from each of their 

 birds, but their small size, four to four and a half pounds, 

 together with their dark pins, militates against their value 

 as a market bird. I have always emphasized the point that 

 size as well as fecundity is a necessary adjunct to a profitable 

 market bird. It is no more trouble or risk to grow a large 

 bird than a small one, while the market returns are often 

 double. The large bird will always command at least two or 

 three cents per pound more than a small one, as well as a 

 more ready sale. 



There are four different strains or varieties of this bird, 

 the White, Fawn, Particolored and Dark Penciled, all equally 

 prolific. The patrons of the Cumberland strain of Runners 

 claim a wonderful record for their birds of two hundred large, 

 pure white eggs per bird each year, two of these eggs being 

 equal in weight to three hen eggs with a quality even better 

 than those of the hen. 



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