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Poultry. 
THE INDIAN RUNNER DUCK. 
We have had many inquiries about this breed of duck, and we cannot do bet | 
than publish the remarks on the subject by Mr. D. F. Laurie in the Soul 
Australian Journal of Agriculture and Industry. My. Laurie says :—U? i, | 
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or two occasions I have alluded to this coming variety. I alluded t 
marvellous laying powers reported as belonging to the breed, and UWS 
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fanciers and breeders to import some. ‘This, eventually, the Hon. WJ, 
Rounsevell did, and had extraordinarily good results the first season. i | 
birds came from Cumberland, and arrived on 18th December, 1896, and sta 
laying ina few days. He bred over 100 during the summer and autumn nf 1 | 
a drake and three ducks. Mr. G. H. Dean, who had eggs from Mr. Rounse a 
and from Mr. Cadell, of New South Wales, had also a nice lot, and has sin 
then purchased the whole of Mr. Cadell’s imported breeding stock (including 
amongst which are birds bred by Simon Hunter, of Northallerton, G. Bisholy | 
J. Donald, of Cumberland, and Cook and Sons, of Orpington House, St. May 
Cray, all of England). It is an enormous advantage to intending breeders 
‘be able to obtain so many different strains of blood. Mr. Dean speax® | 
enthusiastic terms of the breed. Mr. S. Pitman, of Payneham, a well-kn0™s 
poultry-breeder, has an excellent flock of Indian Runners. His ducks are ai 
imported strains, and his drakes from Mr. Cadell. Some months ago I ublish 
in the Journal of Agriculture and Industry the results of the ay 
his nine ducks, and I am now pleased to further amplify their very SP 
record. The nine ducks were hatched 16th November, 1897. They 16 
during May, 25; June, 151; July, 206; August, 248; September, 
October, 249; and to 19th November, 141; making a total of 1,254 eg5® 
an ayerage per bird of 139, or equal to about 280 eggs per bird per an? 
In addition to distributing sixty sittings of eggs, Mr. Pitman has a flock 
availed themselves of the opportunity of obtaining these great layers. 
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have had any practical experience of breeding ducklings for market knoW th 
the average duck is a poor layer, and, moreover, many of the eggs laid ea he 
the season are infertile. Now, in addition to the birds being great layel™ 
egos of the Indian Runner are, as a rule, all fertile. It is quite possible, ost 
cially in the cooler portions of the colony, to breed ducks all the year if 
as long as the young ones are well fed and kept cool and shaded, they Wl ». 
into good marketable birds. Now, although the Indian Runner, in compe at | 
with Pekins, Rouens, Cayugas, and Aylesburys, is a small bird (the weight ihe 
the show pair is limited in England to 4 1b.), still, when compared wit oly 
ordinary farm duck, the weight of the Indian is often in its favour, W 4 the 
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carefully weighing bone and offal the test is still more favourable, 1% 
Indian Runner, with small offal, has very fine bone, and carries meat of exc® 
flavour. The Runner is a quick maturing bird, and the ducks are very Me | 
cocious as layers. These are two important points to consider. We have a 
size and weight in the before-mentioned large breeds; therefore we have vol 
to use the Indian Runner blood to gain these other two points. I have 1° yt; 
that, as regards crossing with common ducks, the loss will be slight in wert 
and as regards crossing with the larger breeds, the crossbreds are of eXC a4, _ 
size and quality. Mr. Dean noted that his Indian Runners obtained fro oo! | 
Cadell were larger than usual. Mr. Cadell stated that invariably the progr 
QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Maz., 1900. : 
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over seventy young birds. It shows, therefore, that a great many people an 
can be obtained. Ducks require but little space to grow and fatten in, 80 iy | 
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