Tbt  RURAL.  NEW-YORKER 
569 
THE  HENYARD 
Indian  Runner  Ducks 
During  the  past  12  years  I  have  found 
the  Indian  Runner  duck  to  be  a  line  util¬ 
ity  fowl.  Though  I  never  trap-nested,  1 
have  kept  an  accurate  daily  egg  record 
and  had  the  whole  dock  average  250  eggs 
for  each  duck  in  the  year.  Because  the 
duck  eats  more  green  food  than  the  hen, 
I  have  found  it  to  be  a  more  profitable 
fowl  on  free  range  than  is  the  hen. 
On  free  range  and  a  quart  of  dry  mash 
twice  a  day  for  each  nine  ducks  I  have 
had  the  whole  dock  to  average  SO  to  100 
per  cent  egg  yield  for  weeks  and  months 
at  a  time.  Even  here  in  Southern  New 
York  their  laying  period  is  a  long  one. 
Last  year  my  dock  began  laying  the  first 
week  in  February,  and  did  not  quit,  until 
December  20,  and  possibly  if  1  had  had 
as  warm  quarters  for  them  as  hens  re¬ 
quire  for  Winter  laying,  they  wouhl  have 
laid  some  all  Winter. 
Unlike  a  hen,  but  like  a  pig,  the  Run¬ 
ner  duck  eats  in  the  dark,  and  this,  is 
an  advantage  in  their  favor  with  persons 
who  cannot  conveniently  feed  in  daylight. 
They  make  good  layers  for  four  or  live 
years,  hence  the  dock  does  not  have  to 
be  replaced  every  year  or  so,  as  do  hens. 
I  have  tried  them  out  here  and  in  Mary¬ 
land  and  Florida,  and  tind  they  are  not 
subject  to  any  of  the  diseases  and  insects 
which  affect  the  hen  in  the  same  stretch 
of  widely  varying  latitude  and  climate. 
They  are  also  much  easier  to  fence  in  and 
control  than  are  hens.  The  eggs  average 
a  high  percentage  of  fertility  and  hatch 
well.  They  also  mature  quickly.  I  have 
had  them  weigh  4  lbs.  in  eight  weeks,  and 
begin  laying  in  four  months  and  live  days. 
Even  September-hatched  ducklings  will 
mature  by  cold  weather,  and  be  in  prime 
condition  for  early  Spring  laying.  As  a 
table  fowl  the  Indian  Runner  is  tender, 
juicy  and  delicious,  and  much  relished 
by  persons  who  do  not.  like  the  heavier 
fat  breeds  of  ducks.  Since  I  have  been 
here  in  New  York  State  I  have"  found 
ready  sale  for  my  surplus  drakes  at  fancy 
prices.  T  market  them  at  eight  to  ten 
weeks  old,  and  they  go  far  in  meeting  the 
expense  of  raising  the  flock. 
1  now  keep  the  White  Indian  Runner 
duck,  which  lays  a  large,  beautiful  white 
egg.  The  eggs  compare  favorably  with 
ihe  best  grade  of  hens’  eggs  for  all  pur¬ 
poses,  and  I  doubt  if  any  person  could 
tell  a  White  Runner  duck  egg  from  a 
hen’s  egg  by  its  taste.  Being  so  much 
larger  than  hens’  eggs,  they  go  farther 
in  cooking.  Two  duck  eggs  will  go  about 
as  far  as  three  hens’  eg»s. 
In  some  markets  the  White  Runner 
duck  eggs  bring  higher  prices  than  do  the 
best  quality  of  hens’  eggs.  As  wonderful  . 
a  fowl  as  the  hen  is,  time  is  coming  when 
she  will  have  to  yield  up  much  of  her 
prestige  and  her  proportionate  number  to 
the  Runner  duck.  MRS.  A.  T. 
Straits  Forners,  N.  Y. 
Starting  in  Poultry 
I  have  40  building  lots,  a  little  over  ! 
three  acres,  sloping  southeast.  I  want  to 
put  a  henhouse  on  the  back  of  lots  18  or 
20x60,  making  six  apartments  for  40  or 
50  layers,  each  apartment  with  yard  30  ft. 
long.  Can  that  many  hens  be  made  to 
pay  $2  or  more  apiece?  I  can  get  five 
cents  above  market  price  for  white  or 
brown  eggs.  I  can  get  five  cents  a  pound 
over  market  for  chickens  14  months  old. 
By  this  I  mean  non-layers  and  the  roost¬ 
ers,  or  could  I  eaponize  the  cockerels? 
They  bring  50  to  60  cents  a  pound  here, 
and  no  trouble  to  sell.  I  will  put  out 
1,500  strawberry  plants,  500  each  early, 
late  and  Everbearing,  5  ft.  apart,  with 
cabbage  and  mangels  In  between.  My 
idea  is'  to  get  200  baby  chicks  March  15, 
200  April  15,  200  May  15.  and  250  July 
15,  so  as  to  have  layers  from  February 
through  the  Summer.  If  it  will  work,  I 
will  start  this  Spring.  I  will  follow  my 
trade,  painting,  but  next  year  would  like 
to  put  all  my  time  to  chickens,  400  per 
month  instead  of  200.  F.  E.  B.  II. 
Massachusetts. 
It  should  be  entirely  practicable  to 
make  $2  per  hen  with  the  markets  that 
you  have,  but  I  would  suggest  that  you 
build  your  poultry-house  as  you  sug¬ 
gest  and  use  it  for  a  brooder-house  the  I 
first  year,  installing  brooder  stoves  to  j 
care  for  the  chicks  in  flocks  of  about  250 
each.  I  see  no  object  in  stringing  the 
batches  along.  This  will  not  prolong  the 
laying  year,  and  will  make  much  extra 
work  caring  for  -chicks  of  different  ages. 
Either  April  or  early  May  chicks  should 
begin  laying  in  September  or  October  and 
lay  for  a  year  or  more  before  molting. 
Leghorn  males  should  be  sold  as  small 
or  medium-sized  broilers  as  early  a.s  pos¬ 
sible.  Larger  breeds  may  be  capon i zed 
and  sold  in  mid-Winter  or  later  as  capons, 
but  you  will  need  to  get  good  prices  for 
them  if  you  make  them  profitable. 
You  are  laying  out  more  work  for 
yourself  than  you  probably  realize,  and 
I  am  afraid  that  your  trade  will  get  little 
attention  if  you  follow  your  plan.  Why  j 
not  buy  500  day-old  chicks,  divide  them 
into  two  flocks  in  the  care  of  two.  stoves 
installed  in  your  poultry-house,  and  try 
t<*  raise  these  the  first  season?  This  will 
keep  you  busy,  with  your  outdoor  work, 
and  will  be  much  easier  to  care  for  than 
four  flocks  of  different  ages.  You  will  j 
find  a  great  deal  to  learn  if  you  have  had 
no  experience,  and  you  don’t  want  to 
make  your  lessons  too  expensive. 
•  ’  M.  B.  D. 
BEFORE  Fleischmann’s  Pure  Dry  AFTER  Fleischmann’s  Pure  Dry 
Yeast  was  added  to  the  mash.  Yeast  was  added  to  the  mash- 
Which  tray  do  you  want? 
Get  more  chicks  from  the  same  number  of  eggs 
with  Fleischmann’s  Pure  Dry  Yeast — chicks 
you  would  not  otherwise  get 
When  an  egg  fails  to  hatch,  you  know 
what  the  trouble  is.  Either  it  was 
infertile  to  begin  with,  or  else  the 
embryo  chick  is  too  weak  to  break 
through  the  shell. 
In  either  case,  the  activity  and  health 
of  the  parent  stock  are  responsible. 
Fleischmann’s  Pure  Dry  Yeast,  fed 
to  your  laying  hens,  will  give  you 
bigger  hatches  than  ever  before !  Here 
is  why: 
Fertility 
The  vital  elements  contained  in  yeast  have  a 
direct  influence  on  the  growth  and  activity  of 
the  reproductive  organs — on  which  fertility 
depends.  This  fact  is  well-known  to  scientists. 
Feed  Fleischmann’s  Pure  Dry  Yeast  to  your 
hens  and  cockerels  and  you  will  have  more 
fertile  eggs  in  your  incubator ! 
Costa  less  than  2c 
a  tablespoonful.  117 
tablespoonsful  to  the 
can  —  enough  to  last 
10  hens  or  50  chicks 
for  4  months. 
Hatchability 
Weak  parents  have  weak  progeny  that  die  in 
the  shell.  But  an  embryo  chick  that  has  in¬ 
herited  the  vigor  of  birds  fed  on  Fleischmann’s 
Pure  Dry  Yeast  hatches  easily.  Feed  Fleisch¬ 
mann’s  Pure  Dry  Yeast  to  your  breeders  and 
your  fertile  eggs  will  hatch  ! 
Feed  it  to  your  young  chicks,  too.  Watch  them 
grow,  and  take  on  weight !  Watch  how  quickly 
they  develop  the  secondary  sexual  character¬ 
istics — combs  and  wattles !  As  they  grow  into 
pullets,  see  them  lay  six  or  eight  weeks  sooner  ! 
This  proves  the  direct  influence  of  Fleisch¬ 
mann’s  Pure  Dry  Yeast  on  the  reproductive 
organs. 
Pin  a  $2  bill  or  money  order  to  the  coupon 
below  and  mail  it  today !  It  will  bring  you  a 
big  2'/2-pound  can  of  Fleischmann’s  Pure  Dry 
Yeast.  A  booklet  containing  complete  in¬ 
structions  for  the  care  and  feeding  of  chicks 
and  laying  hens  comes  with  each  can.  We 
pay  the  postage. 
The  Fleischmann  Company 
Dept.  D-32 
701  Washington  Street 
New  York  City 
Enclosed  find  two  dollars  ( $2.00 ).  Please  send 
me  a  2*/2-pound  can  of  Fleischmann’s  Pure  Dry  Yeast 
by  prepaid  parcel  post. 
Name . 
Street  and  Number . . . . 
City .  State . . 
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