1 911. 
THE RURAL NEW-VORKER 
149 
HANDLING INDIAN RUNNER DUCKS. 
Will you give me information as to how 
Indian Runner ducks are cared for, when 
market eggs are the consideration? Can 
they be made to produce eggs in Fall and 
Winter as hens do, and can they do well in 
confinement? What would be the consump¬ 
tion of food for a flock of 100 Indian Run¬ 
ners for one year, from the time they 
reached egg producing size, which I pre¬ 
sume is when they are about six months 
of age? w. w. p. 
Lexington, Ky. 
If I were to give the most succinct 
and helpful rule possible in a few words, 
it would be “Keep the birds out of the 
wind, and feed considerable meat” This 
is precisely the rule for best treatment 
of hens; but the ducks have this ad¬ 
vantage; their natural food is far more 
largely meat than is the case with hens, 
so that we can feed this stimulant and 
egg-maker more freely, without the 
same danger of breaking the birds down. 
\ our question about confinement must 
be limited by a definition of what we 
mean by “confinement.” Absolute con¬ 
finement, such as is often the lot of 
hens in Winter, would, I feel certain, 
result far more fatally for ducks than 
it sometimes does for hens. Not only 
would it mean, in the end, lack of eggs, 
but also, I fear, loss or injury of the 
ducks. They greatly prefer the open 
except in the most cutting weather. Yet 
life in the open in a severe Winter will 
not bring eggs. Hence it is a problem as 
to just how much of a compromise to 
make, and the rule I gave at the outset 
comes as near a general rule as one can 
get. An open shed, with possibly two 
boards on the front at the bottom, but 
without cloth front, and with the best 
of soft bedding in at least a portion of 
it (six inches or more deep, and re¬ 
newed often enough to keep it fluffy), 
will furnish the best conditions in any 
moderate temperature. It is possible 
that those far north will have to close 
the shelter at night. When some one 
of them has tried it, I hope he will let 
me know. I do know that Indian Run¬ 
ner ducks are raised in Canada and 
New Brunswick, and I think Canadians 
know them even better than we of the 
United States. Unless you are in a 
highland district, I do not think you 
need more than a shed and good bed¬ 
ding. In Summer, so far south, you 
vyould be more likely to have to pro¬ 
vide cool conditions, especially partial 
shade. 
As to feed, the general rule, again, 
will help the largest number of people. 
This rule is that the Indian Runner is 
fairly equal to a Leghorn in tempera¬ 
ment, weight, food requirements, etc. 
My feeder says the ducks need a little 
more feed than the Leghorns. It de¬ 
pends on severity of weather, freedom 
of laying at any specified time, etc. In 
any case, if your ducks are noisy, at 
any time when they should be quiet, it 
is likely to be because of hunger. The 
only other condition in which they are 
noisy, is when they are delighted in 
play. But the noise then is not the 
loud, insistent quack which means 
hunger. Study of the birds will show 
you how to handle them. Some get 
eggs on mostly corn; others use bran 
as the base of a mash. Green food, grit 
and shell as with hens but finer. As 
to Winter laying, reports vary, as with 
hens. Yearlings and early-hatched 
young ducks do most of the Fall laying. 
January and December are the “short” 
months. Mrs. IT, a mid-West breeder, 
reports 75 per cent of her Runners lay¬ 
ing by the first of February. This is 
the best definite report I know about. 
c. s. v. 
Roman Guide (impressively) : “The 
ruins of the Coliseum!” Seattle Man 
( astonished) : “Well, what do you 
think of that! Why, I saw photographs 
of that heap twenty years ago.” Roman 
Guide (loftily) : “Quite likely, sir.” Se¬ 
attle Man: “But why in thunder aren’t 
those ruins cleared away and a modern 
Coliseum erected?"—New Orleans Pic»r 
yune. 
A Billion Dollars Poultry Money For 1911 
A Big Share of It Belongs To Every Farmer 
and His Wife —Why Not Get Your Share? 
Free To You, Postage Paid —This Big 
'E WANT to send you, postpaid, our big free book 
ahers Cat 
W 1 of 212 pages—the Cyphers Catalogue and Annual 
Poultryman’s Guide—just off the press. We will 
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wife or daughter, who realizes that the farmer is the 
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raise poultry for profit. 
This new Year Book for 1911 tells about the wonderful 
money-making possibilities in raising chickens. It states 
that over one billion dollars will be the total value of the 
poultry and. eggs produced in America in 1911. And it 
tells why this is so, on the authority of Hon. James Wilson, 
Secretary of Agriculture. 
212 Page Guide to Poultry Profits 
Send us your name 
and address today. We 
want to hear from every 
farmer who realizes the 
true importance of the 
poultry industry—who 
wants to make more 
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about it. That’s the 
true intensive spirit. It’s 
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; : *-PR0FSTA3L£ f "' 
POULTRY RAISINS 
I : 
cjXnrrt C*T»ioGuCi«..Di , cvi:x'K'V?a , iM _ 
, CYPHERS INCUEATORl 
" COMPANY fl 
BUFFAt-O. N.Y. U.S. A. T 
' ■ b* - - 
INCUBATORS.BROOOF.RS ' 
KL POJCTRY APPLIANCES. POODS 
“* AND STANDARD SUPPLIES 
ISM 
Free, Postpaid to Any Address If 
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Poultry and eggs are two of your most important crops. 
Don’t forget that! 
They are worth your best effort and best attention. You 
must have the right equipment—a real incubator! 
The Cyphers is the logical incubator for the intelligent 
farmer who uses modern appliances—for whom the best is 
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Cyphers Incubator Company 
Factory and Home Office#, Buffalo, N. Y. 
Branch Offices and Stores: 
N «w YoHc, N Y. Boston, Mass. Chicago, III 
23 Barclay St. 12-14 Canal St. 340-344 PL Clark St. 
Ci *y. M «- . Oakland, Cal. 2,000 Local 
317-319 Southwest Bird. 1569 Broadway. Selling Agents. 
Pimlinve Incubators r~ Memory-Jogger I 
III lfrlX s . ™s.i er " inc L s , to send today for Cyphers Company’s new 
ana Brooders 1 b ?? k £ rofi ‘ 3 ble Poultry Raising” and complete 1911 catalog- » 
* wvvswi O , of Incubators, Brooders and Poultry Supplies. I have in mind - 
the purchase of a.size incubator (or).size brooder. 
are fireproof and insurable. Every machine is fully and 
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L My ad' 
address is. 
Cypher# Incubator Company, Dept. 38 , Buffalo, 
NY I 
Perfect Equipment is THE Secret of Our Success! 
With the experience 
ence gained in operating the largest Poultry Plant in the World, 
knowledge of the several makes of incubators is greater than the hie 
our 
greater than the manu¬ 
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built an incubator giving results never secured 
by any other make, and we now offer it to the 
public. The 
INTERNATIONAL 
Self-Humidifying 
INCUBATOR 
is responsible for our great success, and will give to the struggling beginner 
all of the profits and none of the losses. Absolutely automatic in every 
function, unvariable temperature, certain moisture from the mo¬ 
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purposes. 
We have just completed our 1911 catalog on incubators and hovers, 
also our stock catalogue on Kuiicociih Strain It A It V CHICKS and ''f 
HATCHING KGGS. You are welcome to either or both of these 
catalogs. Send to-day. 
INTERNATIONAL POULTRY SALES COMPANY 
Home Office, Box 285. Brown’s Mills-in-the-Pines, N. J. 
Branch, 21 Barclay Street, New York City 
125 Egg Incubator and Brooder 
Why pay more than onr pricef If ordered together we send 
both machines for 810.00, and pay all the 'freight charges, 
te^aouble wall*’ ~**-- u —*■- j • * 
—--Tr*’V’ **““ uvi^uv GUtU^CB, ” 
Hot wateredouble wails, dead-air space between, double glass doors, cc 
Nursery underneath the egg-tray. 
~ ** - mnlntn nntk * n n,.. - 1__ _ 
®° cover inferior material. It you will compare our machines 0 with^othera* offered at anywhere" 
wtw 1 ’ 0 of yon F ar l or * J Don,t until you do this—you’ll Bare money. It pay^to!™ 
vestigato the Wisconsin before you buy. Send for the free catalog today, or send Jn your order and save time 
--WISCONSIN INCUBATOR CO.. Boy I 18 . Racine, Wis. 
jj And They Don't Havo 
to bo Fanciers 
Poultry is part of straight 
I business farming—oUen 
the best payingpart.Send 
for 1911 Free catalog and 
start right. Learn the way 
Robert H. Essex, the incu¬ 
bator authority and poultry 
y expert, advises. iThe 1911 
Essex Model Incubators and 
Brooders are the latest and best money makers for 
farm poultry raising. Every man, woman and child 
who keeps even a few chickens, should read this 
highly instructive book. Free, write for copy. 
ROBERT ESSEX INCUBATOR CO. 
94 Henry Street Bulfalo, N. Y. 
ESSEX-MODEL 
isCUBATOB 
r’ gr QuAurr 
.Buys both 
An Incubator and Brooder bar- 
' gain unparalleled—the biggest 
capacity and highest efficiency 
ever sold for the price. You get 
all the best features found on the 
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^ A pppp Buy right from this ad, or if you 
lltLL want more Information send at 
once for the “Progressive Method;” lt'a free. 
— : *-* G. C, Wheeler, Mgr. 
PROGRESSIVE. INCUBATOR 
CO., Bon46 
Racine, 
WIs. 
FBKIGDT 
PRKI’AIU 
Bast of Buckles 
