3) &

1d

CONTENTS

Some Guesses and Some Facts about Indian Runners
English History, Views, and Standard

The Present Show Quality of American Standard Indian Runrers
Comparison of English and American Types

Selling and Cookery Value of Indian Runner Eggs
System and Forethought in Making a Market

The Indian Runners Making History

Best All-Around Handling of the Breeding Stock
Some Spurious and Some Genuine Indian Runners
The Future of the Indian Runners in America
Indian Runner Ducks and Farm Breeding

The Newer Varietv, the White Indian Runner

THE INDIAN RUNNER
DUCK BOOK.

The Only Authoritative American Book
about this Marvelous Egg Machine.

‘They say she did!”

“Who did ?”’

“The Indian Runner Duck.”
“Did what?”

‘Laid 320 eggs in one year.”

RIDGEWOOD, N. J.
Berek) VAIN EEN E,
SES ES ee |

———
*
COPYRIGHT, 1911, BY
Fach. 8 CaS NA IN INE
oe ee

Some Guesses and Some Facts About

INDIAN RUNNERS

CHAPP ER =]

] think it was about 1904 or 1905 that the first important litera-
ture concerning the Indian Runner Ducks was published in this country.
At about this time, good articles, dealing with the wonderful qualities
of this new breed were published in at least three of our poultry period-
icals. Soon, breeders, here and there, began to try them in a somewhat
gingerly way, as though rather expecting a gold brick. The great serv-
ice which this early literature did the breed was to call public attention
strongly to it, through what then seemed the exorbitant claims made
for these birds as layers.

After a few years Mr. Irving Cook took up this breed, advertising
continuously and rather strikingly. As he began the work when voung
and enthusiastic, and, later, gave his entire strength to his Indian Run-
ner business the Runners soon found themselves in the midst of a
“‘boom.’’ But even before him several men who still breed the Runners
were at work with this breed.

As soon as the breed began to attract keen attention, some breeders
who wished to improve it in every possible way began to make inquiries
as to its origin. One early breeder who made every effort to get the
true history about this time reports that even then “it seemed to be a

matter of surmise. All the writers’ ideas on the subject seemed to be
Some of the

”

vague, and many conflicting statements were made.
causes for this haziness and conflict of statement I have been able to

run down.

Much misconception arose through an accident. The first two
detailed descriptions of the breed which I noted in American publica-
tions were from writers across the big waters, one in New Zealand, the
other in Ireland. Birds in these countriés would naturally have come
from England, and be of English type. -H. DeCourcy’s article was so
straightforward and sensible, yet so conservative that it seemed to give
the public good ground for confidence in the breed. Unfortunately, this
early article gave the West Indies as the original home of the Indian
Runner. This statement has been copied by many, while others have
given a widely different origin. In a recent circular, the matter was
disposed of in this way: ‘‘Coming originally from the West Indies, thev
are a cross of Rouen and Wild Mallard.’’ Of the three supposed facts
given here (West Indian origin, Rouen blood, Mallard blood,) probably
not one could be proven, though the last might have some credibility
through the tact that most breeds of ducks are descended from the
Mallard.

I have long suspected that the DeCourcy statement, as printed in
this country, was an office, or ‘‘proof”’ error. Trying to get at the facts.
I wrote to Mr. DeCourcy in October, tg1o0, inquiring if this were not the
case. The reply was directly to the point: ‘If my article says ‘West’
it was a misprint,—or perhaps a clerical error of mine.’ As the real,
native home of the Indian Runner has long been believed to be the
East Indies, it is quite easy to see how such an error could arise through
the misplacement of a single letter. At no other period except when the
breed was just being introduced could such an error have worked so
much mischief as to the facts.

Among the early breeders here were Mr. Cook, Mr. Fay Davis,
Flint, Mich., M. V. Decker and, in 1900, A. J. Hallock. Mr. W. Delano’s
name has also been given me as an early breeder, but I have been un-
able to get any information from this source. It will be admitted with-
out question, I think, that our one reliance for the early history of the
breed IN THIS COUNTRY must be the statements of the earliest breeders.

While the ‘‘West Indies story’’>was going the rounds, with no one

4

contra lictins it, and gaining strength through repetition, the British
birds were being quietly bred for some time, before the public began to
awake to the value of the Runners. The Davids brothers, of Kansas,
began about 1902, Davis in 1897, Hallockin 1g00. These three, I know,
had their birds from Great Britain. I think there is no room for doubt
that all the other early breeders had stock from the same source, either
direct or through contemporary breeders. Since it appears that the
earliest specimens here came from British sources, 1t seems to be only
crdinary common-sense to take British testimony as to their origin.
The English early history——s far as it is history, and not supposition, at
least—should be admitted to be the true history. At all events, the
guesses and “impressions” of later breeders here, have absolutely no
value.

During the present season not less than 160 breeders have been
advertising Indian Runners. There may have been more, but I have a
list showing this number. Seven years ago, Reliable Poultry Journal—
for years a favorite medium with the duck breeders—carried only two
Indian Runner advertisements in May in the Classified list. The Run-
ners have appeared almost wholly in the classified lists; since they seem
to have been almost universally welcomed as an accessory to other
breeds of fancy fowls. At all events, they have sold so easily that only
classified advertising has been necessary, apparently.

One of the two who were thus advertising in 1903 was Cook. In
1906 he blossomed out as the breeder of ‘‘the only true fawn and white
colors, and the world’s heaviest laying strain.’’ He had, then, five com-
petitors in the classified column. Remembering that this was only four
years ago, we may well be amazed at the advance which the Runners
have so recently made in public favor. According to these figures, the
fawn and white type became “‘the only true’ just about five vears ago.
It may be remembered, also, that this was the year the Standard which
breeders have followed for the last five years, appeared.

It would 'seem that, even in Great Britain, the Runners were not
well and widely known so very much longer than they have been known

5

here. In 1893, four years before Mr. Davis received his first birds, a
book on poultry for profit was put out by a Britisher who had previous-
ly written another poultry book, and who might have been thought to
be fairly well posted. He mentions only three breeds of ducks, but
takes occasion to remark: ‘‘It is much to be regretted that no steps have
been taken to breed laying strains of ducks.”

The history of the Runner in England, however, is easily to be
followed back for about twenty-five years. If it becomes hazy as we
go farther back, this need not surprise the Yankees who have managed
so to conceal their tracks in something like fifteen vears that in a new
book advertised as the best in America, and giving SIXTEEN ENTIRE LINES
to the Runners, it is plainly stated that the origin of these ducks cannot
be traced authentically. But a Rouen cross is admitted. Was that
Rouen cross a Yankee contribution ?

If, as no one doubts, the Indian Runner Ducks came to us from
England, it would seem, indeed, the part of common-sense, and of cour-
tesy no less, to accept the story of their origin as presented by the best
and oldest English breeders. American cleverness, however, professes
to have discovered that the Britishers, no matter how decent people
they be, are presumably equivocating about the origin of the Indian
Runner duck. 7

The juxtaposition of a quasi-Yankee head and a Belgic head has
brought up a new story, to the effect that the Britishers did not get
their Runners from East India or any other old place whence old sea-
captains come out of obscurity, but just across the channel in Belgium!
But they have carelessly omitted to tell us how it happened that when
those Belgian ducks flew (?) across the channel, they happened to light
in County Cumberland, away off to. the north-west, as far as possible
from Belgium. Frankly, I think this story very far-fetched. For, the
English certainly could not be ignorant of the existence of these thous-
ands of Belgian ducks. If they were really the same thing as the Indian
Runners it would be well known on both sides of the channel, in which

case the only possible conclusion would be that the English breeders
6

have deliberately clouded their origin, and lied about it for these scores
of years. Ido not believe fair minded Americans wish to support this
unworthy view.

Some information so definite and detailed that it would seem as
though it must be correct, has receatly come to me through an English
Correspondent. I have not had sufficient time since to ferret out the
treatise giving this information, to which my correspondent refers. His
letter reads as follows: ‘‘The earliest history of the fowl, (1. R. Duck)
that can be gathered is that they were closely associated with the anc-
ient Hindus in India rooo years B.C. The bird appealed to them through
its fighting qualities. Thus it was that the fowl was first domesti-
cated, not for its food value so much as its sporting qualities. It was
principally located in the Punjaub, Northern India; its culture spread
over India, then distributed through the islands of the Indian Ocean and
into China, and as civilization increased and commerce and colonization
commenced it gradually worked its way through the Malay archipelago
into Persia, and thence into the European countries. I have not been
able to find the treatise I have somewhere on this subject or would have
sent it to you.”’

I do not give these as absolutely the facts, because |] have, at the
present, no other basis for it than the memory ofa single correspondent.
But, in view of the interest in the matter, and the many guesses, it

seemed well to give this, also,-a place.

English History
VIEWS AND STANDARD

CEA PTE Rw

After we trace back to a certain period, or, possibly, forty years
or so, the history of the Indian Runner in England becomes somewhat
hazy. English breeders say that the earliest literature on the breed—
or, at least, that which goes farthest back, is a little treatise by John
Donald, who lived in County Cumberland, where the breed was first
known. In this book, Mr. Donald states that the Indian Runners were
brought to England by a sea captain, about sixty years before his book
was written. H.DeCourcy, of Ireland, a writer whom we know quite
well in America—thinks it is now twenty years since he first saw this
(undated) book. This would make it eighty years since the breed first
made any history in England that is now remembered—a period so re-
mote that none would now be alive who had personal knowledge of the
facts and of its introduction and earliest history.

’

One of the English treatises, ‘‘The Indian Runner,’’ was written
by Jacob Thomlinson, who first knew this duck in County Cumberland
He refers to Mr. Donald’s (earlier) work, and also to a brief treatise by
Mr. Henry Digby, giving credit to these men for allitems not within his
own, personal knowledge. The illustrations in the Thomlinson pam-
phlet are from drawings by Mr. J. W. Walton, Secretary of the present

Indian Runner Duck Club. ‘‘They give,’’ says Mr. Thomlinson, “a

clear insight of what a TRUE Runner SHOULD and SHOULD NoT be.”
8

The models from which these pictures were drawn “‘have won
prizes at the great National Shows.”” They were intended to be used as
‘‘a guide to both old and new fanciers, to obtain a more uniform idea of
type and standard.”

Mr. Thomlinson’s own knowledge of the breed reached back thirty
years, but his treatise was also undated. However, he gives us a point
to rest on by saying that he first took “particular notice’’ of these birds
in 1884, when one duck made for hima record of 180 eggs. As this
“completely overshadowed” other breeds, it was the foundation of Mr.
Thomlinson’s vital interest in the Indian Runners.

The peculiar, running gait, it is thought, seems proof of the Ind-
ian Runners being survivors of the fittest, long ago, in a barren region
lacking in vegetation and abundant insect life, where the usual type of
waddling duck would have died from want of sufficient sustenance,
through sheer inability to forage so fast and so far. Tradition, vague
rumor, or what not, gave rise to a belief that the original home of these
birds was the East Indies.

From the fact that Mr. Donald was a resident of County Cum-
berland, the original seat of Indian Runner culture in England, it seems
to follow that he is most likely to be right as to their origin, and it was
to him that the earlier English breeders looked very largely for infor-
mation.

The power of the true Indian Runner to stamp its color and
marking, in the case of a cross, is taken as evidence of very long fixation
of its characteristics in the native state. Eighty per cent of such prog-
eny, it is said will favor the Runner, especially in characteristic color.
This varies considerably above the proportion given by Mendel’s law.

English breeders seem willing to allow that the long neglect has
made it impossible that many types should not appear in various parts
of the Island; for, the original blood must have been largely tainted dur-
ing the slowness of the nation to recognize the peculiar value of the
breed, and to place it early under the’care of some organization which

would watch out for the preservation of the most valuable and vital

9

characteristics. Like the Rhode Island Red in this country, the breed
had a sadly neglected youth.

Quite a number of importations have in later years, been made
into this country from the flocks of Mr. J. W. Walton, ‘“‘Honorable Sec-
retary” of the Indian Runner Duck Club of England. Mr. Walton says
that the best birds have always been ina very few hands. He wrote
me, personally, that even in England ‘‘breeders, exhibitors and judges
fell into nearly every possible trouble with Indian Runners and reduced
them from an outstanding and most distinctive bird to a common type,
small, cross-bred duck with fairly even markings. That was the Exhi-
bition Runner (?) of eight or nine years ago. 100?,of American (Stan-
dard-bred) Runners and 99% of English are wrong in shape, and position
of legs. Color without type is of no value.”’

Mr. Walton has also said that it was quite certain that many
earlier judges of Indian Runners ‘‘had no acquaintance with the genuine
Runner.’’ It was under this strained situation that the Indian Runner
Duck Club in England took up the work, and formed a Standard calcu-
lated to preserve the distinctiveness of this most remarkable breed. The
birds illustrated in English poultry journals at about this time, according
to Mr. Walton, ‘‘showed strong evidence of Mallard blood.”

It was within the decade before the English breeders found their
bearings that most of our earlier importations were made. This shows
how strong was the probability that many of these earlier importations
were of mixed blood. It was about or just previous to this time that the
Indian Runner Duck Club intervened to save the Runners from extinc-
tion as to their most distinctive characteristics. It superseded the Stan-
dard formed by Mr. Donald and Mr. Digby, (with which there had been
dissatisfaction for some time) by one better designed ‘‘to retain the
valuable utility and artistic qualities” of the breed. A part of its object,
as stated, was to keep the exhibition of the Runner “‘free from dishonor-
able and fradulent practices.” Be

In order to get at the English ideal of shape, it may be well: to
give a word to “‘the old, cod, soda-water bottle.” This bottle,. whose

Io

form is given as a general model to werk toward, tapered toward each
end. The taper is gradual, in the bird, from the thighs back. Mention
is made of the funnel-like expansion where neck passes into body. The
accepted angle of carriage is up to sixty-five degrees when the bird is
traveling, and from this to seventy-five degrees when alert. The neck
is a strong feature, the head and neck together carrying thirty points

LENGTH, THINNESS, and FINENESS are especially demanded. In these
points, the great majority of American Runners fail, breeders seeming
to overlook the added beauty and grace given by a slender neck.

I shall not try to give the English Standard demands in their en-
tirety, but will refer to those which need study, in view of the swinging
away in type and color by the American Standard, and by the birds
shown in America. The color demanded in contrast with the white is a
fawn, rather warm and soft, sometimes expressed also as of “ginger
color’ a term which the American breeders have adopted, but which |
have not seen in the American shows. The newest males shown here

are decidedly of a pinkish, rather than ginger tone, a shade which carries

Pen of selected descendants of nestlings shown in another cut. From the earlier
importations, and bred to English Standard. Young stock. Mature ccat
was just completed. Seventeen weeks old. Will become more slender
with more age.

Pare

directly toward the claret which is disqualified by the American Stand-
ard. The color is required to be uniform, from surface to skin.

The chief variations between color-tones, from English and Amer-
ican poiats of view, is in the head and rump of the drake and the body,
fawn color and overlay on the shoulders. The last point is often strong
in color, the pencilings being rather distinct, but they are supposed to
blend into a warm fawn of the true shade desired, when seen from a
short distanee!awayy: The trick in getting color on the English-bred
Runner, is to get one tone a good ginger, and the other as near it as
is possible, the outer portion being the lighter As this ‘is the portion
most visible on the breast and body, it gives the appearance of evenness,
as soon as the new coat loses a little in strength of color. If too weak
in color when the new coat is first donned, it will be washy in the ex-
treme after a few weeks, and will well justify the term so often applied
to the lighter birds bred to American Standard, ‘‘a dirty white.” This
loss of color is one of the worst things that can befall a true Runner. 1
am loath to use the word “‘true”’ at all in speaking of the Runners, since
it has been so juggled and made to mean such widely different things.

“Genuine” might, perhaps, be a better term.

The full stern, of the upturning, Pekin type, is considered a de-
fect, although this cannot be allowed to count strongly against females
that have laid one or two seasons. The rump of the male and its head
may be of a dull, rather bronzy green.

The English Standard lays emphasis on the point that type must
receive greater consideration than color or markings. Short, thick necks.
squat specimens, smallness at the expense of the long shape, are decided
defects. Slate and dark red in drakes are not favored.

It should be perfectly plain to any normal mind that the English
type of Indian Runner, being so much “older } than anything in America,
justly lays claim to the title of ‘‘The True Indian Runner.”’ There are
many breeders in America who are breeding as nearly as possible to the
English (genuine) Standard, possibly yielding a very little on color in

LZ

order not to have a bird too widely different from the one demanded by
the American Standard. Up to the present, (so convinced were many
of our judges, even, that the American Standard was not requiring the
true type) the English-bred birds have been able to get, in some instances
very good prizes, though not often the best. Last year, sucha male
bird took second at Madison Square Garden. From what I hear, I judge

that the ax is to be applied to such birds at future shows.

“Whose birds was the American Standard made to fit ?”’ asked a

correspondeat, suspiciously, not long ago. The only testimony given to
J 5 fo) J 7 g

the public on this point inheres in the advertisements of two of them,

that ONLY their birds meet the requirements of the new revision.

For months before the latest revision of the American Standard
of Perfection, a sustained fight was made to educate the public,
and incidentally, the Revision Committee, up to a knowledge of the real
type of the genuine, Indian Runners, and of the injury the proposed
action would be to the breeders of the English type, and to the breed.
Perhaps a dozen breeders took part in this, one being a poultry judge.
But the Standard had called for an entirely different type for so many
years, that the Revisers were simply afraid to give any recognition to
the breeders of the genuine Indian Runners. Indeed, it was scarcely to
be expected that the Standard-makers would so publicly acknowledge
a sustained error. Moreover, the known custom in this country, with all
breeds, of making the Standard to fit the aims and ideals of the greatest
number of the more powerful breeders, stood in the way. It isno doubt
true that there are more of the present breeders who favor the ‘‘plain”’
type of solid fawn, with white, than of the breeders who favor the pen-
ciled fawn type. This penciled type is not insistently penciled, except
when the feathers are first grown, but is rather dimly penciled in two
shades so harmonious and so near together in tone that they gently blend
into a color which appears as a solid color as the season advances. The
cuts shown herewith, of birds soon after molting, will easily give proof
of this.

13

[ do not think there is, in the ranks cf the breeders of the org-
inal variety, any feeling of enmity toward the favored American type,
in itself. But the feeling is very general —I think I may say, fairly, uni-
versal—that the breed name, belongs of right to the original type. The
other should have come in, if come it must, as a second variety, with
a variety name. It is precisely as though the Silver Penciled Wyandotte
should attempt to push aside the original Silver Wyandotte. and make
insistent claim to being ‘“‘the only true Wyandotte ’’ Surely “SHAPE
makes the breed, color (only) the variety ’’ Is it not so, breeders ?

It is by no means impossible to rectify this error, even yet, since
there are other revisions ahead. And it is the great hope of those who
are breeding really good Runners of the White-egg type, that our Stand-
ard makers may undergo an operation for strabismus before the time of

the next revision. We’d like them to sEE STRAIGHT !

Present Show Quality of
AMERICAN STANDARD INDIAN RUNNERS

CHAPTER: Ii

The American Standard tvpe of Indian Runners, as seen in the
best shows, is not only a different type of bird from the English Runner,
but it is in the main decidedly different from the ideal which has, up to
the present date of writing, been pictured and described in the American
Standard of Perfection. The ideals of the breeders have been gradually
changing, as to color, and the birds that win now are quite different in
color from those that won a few years ago. The allowance of gray as
well as the preferred fawn, while possibly it seemed necessary at the
beginning, has not worked to the good of the breed. A far larger pro-
portion of males still come with gray breasts than would have been the
case could the Standard have demanded, from the first, that fawn should
be the one color, without the gray as an alternate

I have studied much over the peculiar demands at some points
of the American Standard of Perfection, in its dealing with Indian Run-
ners. Its ideal pictures in the 1905 American Standard are near the de-
mands for good Runners, as laid down by the English Standard. At
two points in the description, however, the American demand swings
quite away from the English. Where the latter calls for legs placed
well back, and makes legs placed too wide apart a defect, the Americ-
an Standard demands legs ‘‘set well apart.’”” And whereas the English

Standard calls for bronzy green on the head and rump of male the Stand-

ae)

ard has demanded as the ideal, for the 5 years previcus to 1910 a
light fawn color, which must be even throughout the entire plumage,

except where the white markings should be seen.

The American demand for “light fawn’? has now been modified
to “fawn’’ and the color is really a peculiar, almost indescribable ight
pinky-brown. It 1s, without doubt, a beautiful color and very much ad-
mired; but so much has shape been subordinated to color-tone of the
“fawn” that the winning birds at the great New York State Fair, in
September, 1910, showed nasty, white splotches in the fawn spoiling the
color-marking most decidedly. These birds bore virtually no resemblance
to the ideal in the then Standard of Perfection, as to shape and carriage
being low in carriage, beefy in type, and, as one has described this type,
‘more like a Rouen thana Runner,” although not so heavy as the former.

In November, 1gi1o, I went to the earlier show held in New York,
chiefly to study the Indian Runners. These picked birds were mainly
very good in the even color now preferred for both sexes —really a hand-
some pinkish fawn. Only a few were good in carriage; scarcely one had
a fine neck; and fully thirty per cent were notably splashed with white
in the fawn of the back. A neck defect which breeders have not seem-
ed to take into account (the proof being that it is so general) is that, the
neck being already too short and thick, is made to look shorter and
thicker by having the dividing line between the colors too high. It is
often cut squarely, but in about one-third the single specimens shown,
there was only about an inch to an inch-and-a-half between the cheek
marking and the fawn of the lower neck. The Walton ideal sketch
shows the white on a slender neck and nearly five-eighths the length of
the fawn marking on the side of the breast, at the point where it ex-
tends entirely to the square cut in marking across the breast. This
gives a widely different appearance to the bird.

The illustrations of Indian Runners in the poultry publications
generally, have not been of a sort to furnish much of an ideal to breed-

ers in general. There are a few birds of typical carriage in this country,

16

but they are still very few; I mean of those which will hold the carriage
practically all the time. The photographs from life commonly published,
give little hint of the Runner which the “Ideal’”’ in the Standard has
shown. The new Standard is to contain a new and improved ‘“‘ideal.’’
Some years ago, Mrs. Mabel Feint made a pencil sketch from life which
was very good for the time, though a trifle too fullin breast, not showing
the straight under line of body which is typical of the real Runner, and
which even the American Standard ‘‘Ideal’”’ demands. This cut is stil]
in use in some quarters. The photographs I have seen, even up to the
present time, have not been, asa rule, as good as Mrs..Feint’s “‘Ideal.”’
She was a breeder of Runners for some years, and the birds she carried
are still bred as.a distinct strain. In her time, these won over many of
those from the more prominent breeders. The American type of birds
are claimed to be ‘‘sports” from birds imported from England. , Inas-
much as English breeders, for many of the earlier years, flirted with the
solid-color will-o’-the-wisp, it would not be at all strange if some of the
birds from England at that early date should throw sporis.. But the
better English breeders have long decried and regretted their waste of
time, and the detriment thev worked the breed for a period before thev

learned to breed strictly to the typical color.

I doubt ‘that it is possible, in this vear 19to, to buy of any Amer-
ican breeder, birds that will hold their carriage all the time, except at
strictly exhibition stock prices. I think this is provea true, in the east,
where many of the earlier Indian Runner ‘breeders wete located, by the
fact that so few really so0d ores are seen, even at the most im>ortan:
shows.

One needs to handle Runners for some time, and learn their
typical carriage and their habits of behavior at different periods of
erowth not only, but at different stages, in order to criticis: thein
fairly. Probably it has occurred to very few that it is almost im-
possible for a laying bird to hold her typical carriage and form.

There is abundant reason for this, with the Runners. A single I.

Ed,

Runner egg ready for exclusion, is likely to weigh three ounces,
and the ducks are quite reasonably likely to lay six days out of
seven, during at least a portion of the year. Prof. James E. Rice, by
experment, found that a color-fed hen deposited some fourteen
layers in the formation of an egg, showing that the egg had been
fourteen days in growing from the pin-head ovule to the two-ounce
product of average exclusion. If we may suppose a duck to be 14
days in growing, an egg, from the beginning to its readiness for
exclusion, and laying six eggs in a week, she must be carrying with'n
her narrow, body, at one time, twelve eggs, of diminishing sizes
from the three-ounce finished product; to the tiny, but enlarging
ovule of the egg cluster. It is, of course, impossible to conceive
that such a weight of eggs should not change both the shape and
the carriage of the female, for the time being. Thus it comes about
that we have to speak of. these birds as in ‘‘exhib-tion form’’ and

‘laying form,’’

while there is still another period of nearly half.a
year, during which they eat so much that they appear rather logy,
and assume the carriage of maturity only at intervals. This is
during their growth toward matur:ty, and we need for this period a

iY

third term, such as ‘‘growing form,’’ to describe them then.
3 i= S

One of my correspondents who is very anxious for the true
Indian Runner to become well known and well liked, rather re-
eretted the fact that Mr. J. W. Walton’s pen pictures of ideal Run-
ners were published in this country, since they show such an exag-
cerated type to American eyes that those buyers without experience
would be dissatisfied with any average Runner that could now be
sent them. I may say, however, that in my experience, no fowl
ever sent out has given such good, general satisfaction as the type
of English Indian Runners now bred in this country. Nearly all
the letters of acknowledgment which I receive, as well as those
which other breeders have shown me, express the greatest satis-

faction with the average birds. A short time ago, I saw one which

18

read thus: ‘‘I have never received anything by express which gave
me so much satisfaction and delight as the coop of Indian Runners
you sent me.’’ These were the average run of low priced birds,
say at about two dollars each.

There is a reason for this in the fact that, although but few of
the Runners hold the distinctive carriage all the time, and, being few,
are held for the high prices, yet the average Runner will almost
invariably show off nicely whenever frightened, or excited or free
to run and pose. And I have never known any breed which seemed
to possess so much of interest for its breeders, whether they were,
er were not, finished fanciers.

But, there is much. more to the question of true type in In-
dian Runners:than has yet appeared in our survey. More and more,
as the years pass, are fanciers falling into line on the declaration
that no breed can survive long and prosper, even as a fancy fowl,
unless it is first a capital, utility fowl. This may be called. I think,
a foundation tenet of The Fancy at the present time. lew adver-
tisers permit themselves to put forth any claims to trade without
supporting them strongly with testimony and assertion as to the
superior utility value of their breed, and espec‘ally of their particular
strain of that breed. Even the story of the superlative fancy value
of the ‘£$10,000 hen’’ must be buttressed by the statement that her
progeny lay at the rate of 83 eggs in four months; and is not this
Ly implication, 249 eggs a year, with chances of 250 in leap years?

On the very day of this writing, I have read, from the pen of
Mr. Robinson, one of our leading poultry editors, the statement
that, as he sees it, the poultry business, except in such special lines
as the growing of soft roasters and of ducks for market, is going
out of the hands of specialists into the hands of the farmers; and, it
xoes without saying, almost, that the Indian Runner, being a cham-
pion layer and a prolific breeder, will soon cease to be of much use
to The Fancy, through sheer over-production, unless the farmers

Eg

awake very widely to its value.” The Indian Runner must become—
and that very soon—the farmer’s duck.

In the Runner camp, a rumble has been growing for some
little time. During 1910 it has risen almost to a roar. The Runner
of the emasculated ‘type called for by the American Standard of
Perfection, although lovely to look upon for color, in its best estate,
has a ereat weakness as a producer of eggs for market, in the fact
that it lays a large ‘proportion of green eggs (a few call them
| bite.) It does not need much argument, I think, to’ convince
any one with an unbiased mind that the crystal-white egg produced
by the English Standard Runner is far and away more desirable for

«1 market egg than one tinted more or less deeply with green.

“A card that came to me yesterday, written from the very
center of the green-egg camp, gives a fair idea of the situation. One
may read between the lines as to how the green-egg type has satis-
fied this breeder. I quote Lterally: ‘‘Are your Indian Runners
the kind that lay white eggs only? Will you sell them guaranteed
to lay white eggs or refund the purchase price? Please quote price
on 50 eggs from * * ** white egg strain.’’

A breeder of American Standard Runners, having had much

trouble and complaint regarding the large output of green eggs,

=

wrote to another asking counsel, and saying, among other things,
that the green-egg type were not so good layers as the others. The
attitude of the recipient of this letter is shown in a brief paragraph
from the reply: ‘‘It is said in England fully 80% of the (so-called)
Indian Runners have very little Indian Runner blood in them, and
a still worse condition prevails here, because of our Standard. Ow-
ing to this Standard, there are very few genuine Indian Runners
to be found.”’

This sweeping statement harks back to the fact that English

‘ bi)

breeders, as I have noted above, tried so hard to ‘‘improve’’ their

Runners that they nearly ran them’into the ground, and came near

20

losing the real Runner completely. At present, not only in England,
but in her colonies, the feeling of the better breeders against any
admixture of outside blood is intense. In Australia, the birds that
won in the great competition were English, Standard-bred Runners.
Mr. Dunnicliffe, the secretary for the competitions, as I note else--
where, told me personally that nothing else will be accepted in

Australia. oes

h

2t

Comparison of

ENGLISH and AMERICAN TYPES

CHAPTER RAY,

For a breed that is sweeping the country with such amazing
swiftness, the Indian Runner has received far too little really criti-
cal attention. It has been bred in England several times as many
vears as it has been noticed and bred here, and in both countries
one craze of the average breeder seems to have been to modify it.
in order to get more size. This is folly, even from the utility point
of view, for the minute you increase size you increase eating capa-
city, and eating capacity beyond what is needed to produce flesh and
eggs is dead against economy in an animal that has a specific, great
point, like the egg-laying tendency of the Indian Runner.

Many breeders of the Indian Runner have been calling atten-
tion to the proud fact that Indian Runners won the Australian Con-
test prize with a marvelous record, as announced a year ago. But
the majority of them have not a shadow of right to use this as a
talking point for their birds, since it was a far different bird from
the American Standard Runner which made these records.

Believing that this was the fact, I wrote, some time ago, to
Mr. Dunnicliffe, Organizing Secretary, in connection with the
Hawkesbury contests, asking him what kind of Runners were in
these Austral'an contests. He very kindly wrote me the facts, which

supported my belief. These are his exact words: ‘“The Indian
163

Runners kept in Australia have been bred from stock imported from
England. The English Standard is followed by all our poultry
clubs and shows. As is the case elsewhere, there are people here
who breed Rouen blood into them to ‘mprove the size, but any trace
of this blood in them would knock them out in the shows In the
matter of laying, we find that any infusion. of Rouen blood depre-
ciates them, and the best laying records have been put up by birds
of pure, English blood, selected here for many vears for their lay-
ing capacity.’’

The Amer‘can Indian Runner, being bred to our Standard,
has been much modified. The distinctive Runner shape has been
subordinated to color, the color lightened, the capacity for breeding
true largely destroyed, and the value as a layer lessened, all in order
to get a'plain contrast to the white, instead of a penciled one. Per-
haps the new manufacture is prettier; since beauty is lagely a matter
of opinion, I will not question that. But we have lost three or four
most valuable characteristics in getting it. The English breeders
who at one period thoughtlessly risked all these to get size, have
more excuse, since they thought this an economic advance.

Within a few days, recently, I received two letters, both from
strangers, on the lookout for white-egg Runners. One of them said
that he had been buncoed, for his ‘‘fawn and white’’ ducks were
all colors, many being white. The other wrote: ‘‘I got 100 eggs
oS thisisprines, ordering, white, but. getting
mixed colors and small eggs, and most of the ducklings were white.
I sent to ———_—___—___—_, and got fine layers of large, pale
green and white eggs.’’ One of the firms mentioned by this corre-
spondent was a Chicago winner, the year he bought, and the other
a firm that has had more write-ups and free readers‘and puffs than
most of the other well-known water-fowl breeders put together.
And I call attention to the fact that there were two distinct types,
from these two different breeders of ‘‘fawns,’’ into one, at least,
of which white blood had been introduced; and probably some into

23

the other also, but more carefully. Neither of them was of the true,
white-egg type.

There is one specific point, viz., length—about the genuine
Runner, aside from the carriage, which I have not seen referred to in
periodicals in this country, although the Standard does say that the
birds shall be long and narrow. The long birds were frequently
downed at New York in favor of those showing the light, even
fawn, evenness seeming to be the chief item in a good Runner, from
the American point of view, in addition to good carriage. Some
of our show birds do have fine carriage, but a very large proportion
of them in the yards of breeders have lost this through the out-
crosses for color.

The English Standard gives something definite to go on, in
stating what should. be considered ‘‘fairly good weights and
lengths ;’’ though it cautions that these must not count alone, but
must be in connection with well balanced type.: It also recom-
mends that judges see the birds on the run before making awards.
But I think these ‘‘fair’’ lengths will open the eyes of our breeders.
They are: 25 to 30 inches for ducks, and 28 to 36 inches for the
drakes. Runners, by the yard, as one might say!

The stern, too, is very different from the Pekin type so often
seen here in the winners. Birds that have la:d for’a considerable
time do get heavier at the ‘rear, but the true shape is quite light at
the stern, tapering from the thighs to the tail. This, with the length
and carriage gives a bird whose distinctiveness differentiates it from
all- other types the minute the ‘eye falls on it. This, to my mind,
is what we want, especially as this is the heavy laying type in this
breed, according to testimony. '

I have had, during this season, letters from two Indian Run-
ner breeders, both of whom raise these birds by the hundreds, both
of whom have the best birds going, of the light fawn type (that is,
their stock is from this type, and very high in quality), and both
of whom avow a belief that the English type of Runner is the true

24

type. Both are changing from the American type to the longer,
more slender, whitc-egg type.

Judge Clipp has said publicly: ‘‘Consulting the numerous
breeders of this famous duck during the show season, nine out of
ten would admit that those of the penciled variety were the best
layers.’’ He also said: ‘‘I doubt if there is another fowl in cxist-
ence that will lay as many eggs during the year as the Indian Run-
der. Even the Leghorn must take off her hat to the Indian Runner
duck.’’ Mr. Clipp speaks as a breeder, as well as a judee.

What might be considered to be a mongrel Runner? One.
surely, which had been outbred strongly. What does the Buff
Orpington Duck claim to be? A cross, having Ruaner blood. On
the strength of Runner blood, and catiing attention to this very
size that shows the mongrel, its handlers are pushing this breed.
It is probably a good breed; it can doubtless be bred up till it is
considered once more pure in btood; but when it is, it will have
mainly lost the Runner characteristics which now const:tute one
of its chief, talking points. Since, then, we already have a mongrel
Runner with a brecd name, let us beware lest we make the Indian
Runner itself a mongrel by adding other blood, no matter of what
uame. The true Runner is so distinctive that it is more easily in-
jured by outcrosses, it seems to me, than any other breed could
possibly be.

It was certainly not more than 13 years after Mr. Thomlin-
son’s first ‘particular attention’’ that the first birds were imported
into this country. This makes it very probable indeed that the
earlier birds imported into America, were very poor birds, from the
present point of view of the English Indian Runner Duck Club. As
they have been bred to the American Standard now for a number
of years, it is perfectly fair to conclude that few or none of the
English Standard-bred ducks have been imported in recent years.
This would follow from the fact that Americans were breeding

25

away from the English Standard. I except, of course, those who
are frankly breeding to the English Standard because they believe
it more nearly correct. In Mr. Thomlinson’s book appears a por-
trait of a Canadian duck, ‘‘never beaten in Canada,’’ sketched—as
a warning—by the Secretary of the English 1. R. Club. The faults
especially named are bad carriage, and ‘‘wide on legs.’’ The width
between levstand the solid fawn which the American ideal demands,
are regarded by the English as decidedly detrimental to the breed.
“If the legs are placed wide apart, you are certain to get a waddler
instcad of a Runner, and if not placed well back you get horizontal
catriage,*’ says Mr. Thomlinson. It is true that the English Stand-
ard demanas:an appearance of uniformity of the darker markings
in ‘tue’ -body color of the female, but it states with equal distinct-
ness that these feathers may carry two tones, one described as ‘‘sott
fawn,’ the other as: penciling which is: ‘‘brighter and warmer in
tint.”’idt: avers’ that: the overiapping of the feathers makes the
femalds: appear almost solid fawn, quite-even.in tone. This ques-:
tion does not come up. with regard to the drakes, as they do not
show penciling, in either-type. >

| wish more especially, however, to.lay emphasis on the dit~
ference between the two types from the utility standpoint, for here,
!..believe, the real fight is to-be made. .Numbers of breeders who
have had both types affirm that the,.English Standard-bred Runners
are better layers; laying earlier, more in numbers, larger eggs, and
eg¢s of better color. The Indian Runners of the English type lay
eggs of a transparent whiteness not seen, so far as I know, in any
other:eges offered for.-table use in the regular markets. They
average: three ounces, when.the,birds are well kept and matured.
And, theysare superior to hens’ eggs for nearly all sorts of cooking.
ects he American. Standard-bred ducks, as a whole, lay a con-
siderable-proportion: of green eggs, though the flocks vary, possibly,
in this. - At.least,:some breeders send out less than, others. I fancy,

too,;, that they make,some careful discrimination. At least, one
26

breeder sent eggs to the President of the American Poultry Asso-
ciation, which the latter reported as being less than three per cent.
ereen; while to another, who was a lesser light, were sent by the
same breeder, a lot containing so many green eggs that the breeder
was in utter despair, and forthwith turned about and bought eggs
for hatching, of the English-bred type, by the hundreds, hatching
antil late in the season in order to get enough. I have read the
letters making these statements.

A letter from Connecticut, received after the hatching season
cf 1910, runs as follows: “This spring, I set a 240-ege incubator
with so-called .Indijan Runner ducks. Some ,of the eggs were
white, but the majority green. The ducklings are most anything
in color, from white to light fawn. I don’t want an Indian Runner
Duck on my -place that lays a green egg. The only thing I am
after is ducks that lay white eggs and are prolific layers. Can you
start me right by telling me where I can buy Indian Runner Ducks
that. lay white eggs?’’. The demand for the white eggs only 1s
erowing so strong that both the utility man and the breeder of
high-grade Standard exhibition birds are demanding guarantees
that the strain shall lay strictly-white eggs. The only type that
comes anywhere near this, so far.as any testimony I have seen or
lreard, to date, goes, is the type bred to the English Standard. Those
raisers who are breeding to the Amercian Standard are promising
themselves that they can breed out ‘the green egg by strict selec-
‘ion. Ido not say that this is utterly impossible, but any one knows
that it must be a process of years. And, it has been my experience
that when you breed out one characteristic of a cross, you breed out
also others, in time, and get back very.near to the original bird.
In the case ot the Runners, this would mean that those now breed-
ing to American Standard would find themselves approaching more
and more to the English Standard duck, as they cull out their green

eggs for hatching.

bo
aj

Calling attention again to the fact that the ducks in the Aus-
tralian competition were English Standard-bred Indian Runners, ]
will note a few statements that have been made as to laying ca-
pacity of the Indian Runners—the English Indian Runners, I mean.
For, I do not think there is a certified record published for the
American type. It will be noticed in practically all references to
the laying capacity of the Runners, in this country, that little men-
tion is made of the records made in the yards of the writers there-
of. These figures are simply copied. A large proportion of all the
figures given have come from across the water. One big record
came from New Zealand; one came from Ireland; severai came
irom Australia. I have two official records made in public work;
also, one, made by Mr. De Courcy’s ducks; one, made by English
bred ducks of an American breeder; one, made in England
by Mr. Thomlinson’s ducks. The last-named record is 180, made
in 1884. Mr Thomlinson states that he has had a few exceed this,
in later years. The English-bred, American ducks made a record
of 185. The Australian Competition, a public, official report from
birds handled at an Agricultural College, was, for the last year,
reported as an average of 200, without meat, and made by two

pens.
Private claims, for which, so far as I know, no proof is
PI y

shown, run winningly from 204 and 209 to 260, 280, and 288. Sev-
eral breeders claim ducks having a record above 200; one states
that his birds lay all winter, and one refers modestly to one of his
ducks with a record of 200 eggs in nine and one-half months. This
is only 21 a month; many Runners are fully equal to this, during
the favorable months. The rub is to get it during December and
the moulting period. The 288 record was made in England, and I
do not know what proofs have been given as to its authenticity.
But, at least, the ‘“‘plain-clothes’’ men, (those who want the plain
fawn and white demanded by the American Standard) cannot con-

sistently claim it, as it was made by a ‘‘different’”’ duck,
28

Off and on, for a year, I have been trying to get some verifi-
cation of the record reported here in 1909 of 320 eggs from one In-
dian Runner duck. Just before this monograph goes to press, I
am in receipt of a letter very much to the point. It is from James
Sincla‘r, an English writer with whom I recently came into touch
accidentally. He has made a tour around the world for the ex-
press purpose of studying progress in poultry culture. I have no
permission to publish this letter, hut I believe that I am not going
beyond the bounds of courtesy in so doing, as no limitat:ons have
been laid upon me in any way. The testimony is as follows: ‘‘I
had the pleasure of seeing the record duck while I was in New
Zealand, as I went to see the plant of its owner. * * * It is
his ‘Wonder’ strain and laid 320 eggs in 365 days, and 512 eggs
in 23 months, going through two complete moults. He had six
‘Little Wonders,’ bred from this one, entered in the Cambridge
Laying Competition, which were only four and one-half to five and
one-half months old when entered, and had gone through a com-
plete moult. When I left, had put up the good total of 900 eggs
in seven months, notwithstanding these obstacles; the last twelve
weeks’ totals averaging over thirty-nine.’”’

This average means thirteen eggs per duck in each two
weeks, for twelve weeks in succession. It is the Indian Runner
Ducks’ strongest bid for universal notice! Doubtless, the majority
of people are unaware that Mr. I. K. Felch furnished a sworn
record, some years ago, of a Light Brahma hen having laid 313
eggs in one year. I am certain that the average Indian Runner
duck will come nearer her ‘‘Wonder’’ average than will any breed
of hens to the ‘‘wonder’’ record for hens. I know of one pub-
lished record for an American hen, higher than thts duck record,
but it was not a sworn record, as far as I know.

Straight to the point testimony from the people who are in
the midst of the work, and who have to meet difficulties at every
turn, is one of the most valuable things we can have to give light

29

on mooted points. Extracts from some other of the letters which
have come to me during the last few months will show further how
people regard the two types. The Vice-President of one of the
poultry clubs writes: ‘‘Give the public what it wants and what is
right, but do not try to educate it up to take only what we have to
offer, because it is a fad. People want something that will re-
produce itself, and the light fawn color won’t do it. 1 don’t think

the new Standard, dirty white fawn will last.’’

From the far west, a man of convictions writes: ‘‘Throw-
ing out the penciled type is an injustice to all its breeders as well
dISTrOwUIent rie breeds Ih1s tearing down what we have been building
up for years. Our ducks have won over all kinds of so-called In-
dian Runners, scoring to ninety-six and a half and ninety-six and
three fourths at state shows. We have been breeding this Engl sh
type for eight years, and find no fault in them: while the fawn and
white proved worthless under the same conditions.. Why should
the Revision Committee wipe either the English type or the Amer.-
can type off the face of the American soil? s. > Rlease moves that this
letter was neither written. for publication, nor for advertis ng, but
is the outspoken expression of a man’s belief, which he supports
by his practice. He says, also, in the course of his letter, that the
American type ‘‘has neither carriage nor egg-laying qualities.’’ .

If any are prompted to deny this last statement I[ refer them
to an excerpt from a letter written from one of those Missouri
men who never believe anything unless you can show them. He
says: ‘“‘I have some. mongrels, this year’s hatch, from stock
claimed to score 96, and some have neither marking nor type. They
are white and fawn, but color not distributed as it should be, and
carriage little more erect than my Rouens. Have a neighbor who
has had no better luck. The eggs were green.’’

The only man I happen to: know of who has bred the Indian

Runners continuously for more than a dozen years, Mr. Fay Davis,

30

of Flint, M’ch., says: ‘‘It is a sorry fact to me to see the Stand-
ard ‘makers try to: spoil one of the utility points-of-the breed. 1
discarded, years ago, all my green egg type; now to go backward
is a bitter pill to take.’’

Publicly, Mr. Davis has said: ‘‘I believe that every duck:
that lays a large, pure white egg shows, at certain seasons of the’
year, a certain amount of penciling, which is very marked when the
feathers are new, and becomes fainter when the feathers grow older.
In my estimation, this penciling adds to the beauty of the plumage.’’

Mrs. Brooks, who lives for and with her Runners, speaks with
equal positiveness: ‘‘A prolific laying strain, producing large,
white eggs, with solid, light fawn color, has never been produced,
and, in my op:nion, never will be, because it is contrary to nature.”’

Mr. Davis also states that he has spent twelve years in selec-
tion of ducks thtit lay pure white eggs with right cheek markings
and correct shapé, and refers to ‘‘the cinnamon-colored (the new
‘fawn !’) ducks that Iay the dark eggs and that are incorrect in
shapé.’’ Recently, on* buying a pair of cinnamon-colored, light
fawn, Standard ducks, he got the small, dark eggs again. Surely,
this rian’s testimony ought to count very strongly. I have been
2ble to get the names of only two other breeders who were handling
'ndian Runners in America at the time when he took them up.
The testimony of a man who has held to them all through their
trial in this country, is the best testimony that we can get. Mr.
Davis adds that he has no trouble in selling all that himself and
his customers can raise of the English, white-egg stock, and that
je: knows of no other fowl that can compare with them in profit.
The knowledge of the man who has known both types since their
beginnings with us, is the knowledge which ought to save us from

making future mistakes.

. .- ote é ‘ = . nes 8
a

Selling and Cookery Value of
INDIAN RUNNER EGGS

CHAPTER V

There are three aspects under which eggs may be considered,
viz., as breeding material; as market stock; as a household neces-
sity and luxury. The last 1s the strong point, :f we take numbers
into consideration; yet, as the number of eggs produced depends
quite largely, im some cases, upon the breeding value, it seems to
me rather fitting to consider the eggs as breeding matertal, before
taking up the other two points.

Indian Runuer eggs, at their best, hatch better than any
other eggs of which-I have had personal knowledge, taking the sea-
son through. During the last hatching season, we had them run-
ning for a long time, under actual test, at from 95% to 100% fertile.
One hundred per cent of fertility does not, necessarily, mean a one
lnindred per cent hatch. But it is known that duck eggs generally
hatch well when all the conditions are favorable, as compared with
hens’ eggs. They need a little more moisture while under incuba-
ion, than do the better-known hens’ eggs.

The real value of the Runner eggs, as breeding material, will
rest very largely on the conditions under which the ducks are kept.
[n order to be able to hatch near the one hundred per cent which
we take as ideal, and not impossible a part of the time) the con-
ditions of yarding, feeding, etc., must also approach the ideal-

32

There must be fair room, proper proportion of males to females,
sufficient shell material and grit, and plenty of fresh, lush green
feed, besides the grain and meat, in various forms, which compr:.se
the usual rations, not to mention the indispensable water to drink.
It will not do to neglect any of these points, if one desires, or ex-

pects good hatches of good ducks.

There is, too, yet another point that needs consideration. 1
think breeders all through our land have been far too careless, in

ihe past, as to the leneth of time eggs were kept before shipment.

It is hardly fair to blame them harshly, because it has been widely
published by the leaders that eggs would keep, with good care,
from three weeks to a month, and still hatch reasonably well. [x-
periments at the Cornell Station show that this is a fallacy; that
eges hatch without loss from depreciation to any great extent, up
io two weeks. After that time, they lose rapidly in value for hatch-
ing purposes.

I have known an early shipment of 200 hens’ eggs, from
one of the most prominent breeders, to give less than twenty chicks.
There are two reasons which promptly present themselves, beyond
the possibility of infertility: these are, possible chilling of many,
and possible holding beyond the age when they were fit to ship.
When eggs are scarce, the temptation to hold them longer than one
would do later in the season, is strong, and it is buttressed by the
known fact that they will keep longer in cold weather than during
summer heat. The carriers, too, often put a shipper in the wrong:
sometimes by careless handling, against which we are helpless, be-
cause we cannot prove it unless there is breakage; sometimes by
undue delays on the road. Several times last season, I knew oi
shipments being twice and three times as long on the road as they
should have been One shipment which, had it been a passenger,
would have gone through in 36 hours, was exactly a week cn the

voad. A shipper has a right to calculate on prompt carriage, but

(ay
SS)

the carriers, by: a delay like this, may hold his eggs beyond the
period of value for hatching purposes. Breeders need to keep these
points always in mind, and I think it 1s wise to err on the safe side,
if any, in shipping any kind of duck eggs.

As market stock, the eggs of the Indian Runner have opened
up possibilities never before ahead of us, at least, as far as we
could know. They not only furnish the large sized product that
everybody likes to buy, but, under favorable conditions, they can
be produced more cheaply than the smaller hens’ eggs. I do not,
by any means, wish to tempt every one to take up ducks. There
are some points about handling all ducks, especially in confinement.
that do not commend themselves to the average person. Among
these are the filth of their yards and the work of dressing the car-
casses that must, eventually, go to market. The first of these can
be overcome by proper management, on the right kind of location,
Ducks can be kept, and do thoroughly well ?n confinement, but this

inakes more work for the handler, as a matter of course.

We have had Indian Runner ducks, raised wholly in con-
fnement, begin to shell out the eggs while still just less than four
and one-half months old. This was without any conscious effort
to push them. It is not common to them to lay quite so early as
this. But they do lay earlier than hens, comparatively speaking;
they do lay more persistently; they do lay better in the autumn;
they do make a higher record, on the average. When we add these
items to the fact that they lay an é€gg exactly one-half larger than
the standard of size for hens’ eggs, and that the English type lay
white, translucent eggs, it is easy to see that their value as produc-
ers of market eggs is abnormally high, as compared with anything
vet known.

The eventual value of the green type egg turns entirely on the
question as to whether or not a green egg will sell in the market.

Possibly—a remote possibility, is it not?—possibly some one will

34

ave business acumen and push sufficient to popularize the green
egg just as some localities have popularized the brown
egg of the Asiatics. But up to the present, it seems to be a fact
that green eggs are little desired, except at Easter time, when the
colored eggs have the right of way for a short period. This is not
saying that they will not sell; I hold that a perfectly good food
product in as good general demand as eggs, should always sell, if
the producer have any skill at all in marketing. But I leave it to
the good sense of the reader whether the Indian Runner, so prolific
and quick maturing; so likely therefore, to increase remarkably
fast, would not better think twice before she lays a green egg for
ihe average buyer. Tor, it is the average buyer to whom we must
cater, in all market offerings. We can educate him, but it is slow

work, and it takes a skilled market man to do it.

When we come to the third point, the consideration of the
indian Runner egg as a household luxury, we can make out a tre-
mendous case. For while this ‘‘luxury’’ delights the producer by
selling at special seasons, occasionally, at twice the price of hens’
eggs, it usually brings but five to ten cents more a dozen. The
latter figure is proportionately cheaper for the consumer than hens’
eggs, just as soon as the latter get above twenty cents. They fall
below this figure so seldom nowadays, that it is safe to state that
the ducks’ eggs are always cheaper than hens’ eggs, if only ten
cents more a dozen. Two of these eggs will, at any time, take
the place of three hens’ eggs, even when the latter are fully up to
the standard, market size, which is two ounces. No eggs were
ever more delicately sweet than those of the Indian Runner; so
that it may fairly be said that we shall soon have a luxury which
is not extravagant, and which, it is hoped, may soon become plenti-
ful on our markets. At the date of this writing, only a few favored
buyers can have them, because there are not nearly enough to go
around. The cities have hardly heard.of the Indian Runner, as vet.

35

I am fortunate in being able to report a household test, made
by Mrs. Grant M. Curtis, the editor of a Table Department in the
‘‘Reliable Poultry Journal.’’ A breeder of the white-egg type, in
western New York, sent to Mrs. Curtis’s office some eggs for test-
ing on all cookery points. The breeder’s confidence in English
type of Indian Runner as a winner was not misplaced. When the
eggs were hard-boiled, or poached, the only fault that was found
was that the whites were a little tougher than those of the hens’
eges, cooked in the same ways; but, the yolk was reported as
smoother and richer tasting. Soft-boiled, and used as frosting, they
were affirmed to be equally good with hens’ eggs. In custards,
two eges to a quart of milk took the place of the five eggs the cook
was wont to use, and ‘‘it was as delicious a custard as we ever
tasted. ’:

The lady who made these tests tried the eggs in making
sponge cake, also, ‘‘believing that sponge cake is one of the most
dificult cakes to make. Three eggs were used in the place of
five with equally good results.’’ The report closes: ‘‘We could
not detect any unusual flavor in any of the eggs used, not even in
the custard and cake. Having tested them, we should not hesitate
to purchase such duck eggs. . . . in preference to hens’ eggs, which
are, alas, ofttimes so far below what should be standard size that
we wish, with ‘Uncle I. K.’ that eggs were sold by the pound.’’
As Mrs. Curtis acknowledged herself to have been, before this test,
somewhat prejudiced against duck eggs, this may be regarded as
a handsome amende to the Indian Runner.

Not enough eggs remained to try omelet making. If the
«experimenter could have tried it, she would have found that it is
in this point that the Indian Runner eggs score most strongly, per-
haps. They make a most delicious omelet, will bear more liquid
ihan hens’ eggs, for this use, and may be used with water, instead
of milk, when necessity demands. The firmer white doubtless is

36

*

in advantage here, as the omelet is not so likely to fall, and some
like it better with water than with milk, while the scalded milk is
avoided in the case of the many invalids to whom milk
le poison,

seems toa

System and Forethought in
MAKING A MARKET

CHIARA Eiki! Vil

Up to the time of the present writing, Indian Runner ducks
have been kept so busy in supplying the demand for eggs for hatch-
ing, that they have not had time to ‘‘bother’’ with market eggs.
The fact that the young grow to mature size in the short period of
something like twelve weeks has made it possible to sell hatching
eges freely during two-thirds of the year, even to northern breed-
ers, while those who want eggs to go south will take them at almost
any time except in the very hottest months. Some do not even
make this exception. A letter received late in November says: ‘‘I
am filling some orders to southern customers. The half-Waltons
are doing a good share of the laying.’” A note received in late
October of this year from a well-known breeder, mentioned just
having taken off a fine hatch of duckings from the incubators, and
said that he was still hatching for himself every egg he could hold
to. I do not think the later hatched birds ever attain such good
size, but they help out while stock is still scarce. Among the early
hatched birds, in our own yards, we frequently have males which
eo a half-pound above Standard weight.

Last year. a breeder told me that he filled one order for 5,000

38

egos, Perhaps others fill even larger ones. But he was obliged
to call on neighbor breeders for quite a proportion of his order;
since it would take 250 ducks three weeks to lay 5,000 eggs, even
if every duck laid every day, and every egg was perfect. This is,
of course, beyond the limit of laying for any flock of domestic fowls
of this size. Or virtually, for any flock.

““What sellers they are!’’ is a suggestive sentence regarding
Inchian Kanners; irom’ a private. létter recerved’ here un. October,
1910. This attribute has belonged to these ducks ever since I have

known anything about them. The demand has snapped up,—usu-

ally before winter—all that could be raised, for breeding use; and
even then it was not satisfied with the amount of the supply. This
market, both for eggs and for stock has, in one sense, made itseli.

But, in the future, as the farms work more into raising In-
dian Kunners, there will need to be some systematic effort to make
markets which will take all the supply at a satisfactory price. Con-
sidering the matter of price from the actual, intrinsic value, since
the eggs of the Runner average to weigh one-half more than the
standard, market hens’ ege, they should be worth one-half more.
This must be discounted a little by the fact that ‘‘an egg’s an egg,”
and, for strictly table use, three hens’ eggs will “go farther’? than
two ducks’ eggs (usually serving three persons,) though the eaters
will not get the same amount of nutriment. There is also the
old prejudice against ducks’ eggs to be reckoned with. Judging
by intrinsic value alone, when hens’ eggs bring forty cents in a
firm market, Indian Runner ducks’ eggs should be worth sixty
cents. Whether we shall ever attain to this as a permanent stand-
ard of comparative values, | am unable to prophesy. At Iaster, |
think there will be no difficulty in doing it; at other times, until
the market is firmly established, we may, perhaps, find it necessary
to take a price from five to ten cents above the market price of hens’
eggs at any given time.

39

I know of one case in which the producer sold the output of
eggs in Boston market at five cents a dozen more than for Leghorns*
eggs, all through the spring and summer, though Boston is not a
good market for ducks’ eggs. In another instance, in New York
market, a breeder sold Indian Runner eggs in crate lots, at 17¢ ana
tipward, more than the going price for fine hens’ eggs. This was at
aster time, and several years ago, even before all eggs were as
ligh in price all the time as is now the case... I know, too, of a cer-
tain physician, practising in a small town, who recommended Indian
Runner eggs for his patients, as preferable to hens’ eggs. In that
city, the Runner eggs have brought at least five cents more than
hens’ eggs, regularly, through some years and down to the present
time. This does not seem enough, but when we remember that
the Runners are more prolific than hens, that they lay during «
longer average period, and that they will thrive on coarser feed.
with less coddling, and with cheaper housing, the argument in

iavor of the Runners is pretty strong.

There is one point about selling which [ want to make as em-
phatic as possible. This is: the sellers must ignore the prejudice
against duck eggs—a relic of a careless age, or poorer ducks—ex-
cept when obliged to meet it through the inquiry of a possible cus-
tomer! Talk about the good qualities of the Runner eggs, and
especially about their size and their sweetness. They have both, so
that your arguments are ready for you in the goods you have to
sell, regardless of the class of goods your grandfathers sold. If you
have eggs enough to warrant it, put an advertisement into your
town paper, offering eggs at a stated price, and telling the po‘nts
in which they are superior to hens’ eggs. When the people have
read it times enough, they will believe it. This is the best way
to make a market for any poultry products, if you have enough
to make it an object. It costs very little, and it enables you to sell

birds when they are ready, instead of holding the good till the

40

backward catch up, which they seldom really do. Besides, if you
word your notices to that end, you are educating your possible
customers up to your class of product, and when they want stuff,
they will seek you.

While I do not, at present, urge that the Indian Runner be
grown specifically as a market duck, our recent experience shows
that it can be thus grown, and profitably so. We placed, in the vil-
lage paper, a fifteen-word advertisement offering table ducks, at
door, alive, at one dollar each. A single insertion sold all we had
to spare, within two weeks. A little earlier, we made an opening
into the trade of a high class city club, at the same price, dressed.
It makes little difference as to the last, if one have the time for
the work, as the feathers will more than pay for it. Inasmuch as
ducks, like the commoner fowls, come about half males, there is
always a surplus of these. There will also be a proportion of old
ducks to work off, each year. I think it would be better, in gen-
eral, to send these in one lot, to a city market.

Selling anything is a psychological experience. Many are
good salesmen, because they have some natural keenness which
enables them to go about it right. Experience may add much, also.
And, because it is a psychological thing, it may be learned through
a general study of psychology, the results of which will apply to
every experience in business, social or family life. It sounds fear-
some, but it is fascinating and practical.

For those who cannot help to build up a market, there are
opportunities now which were never before offered. One eastern
firm is offering, during the autumn of 1910, highest market rates
en good poultry of all kinds, and furnishing coops, returning the
price of coops when they reach the store with their consignment of

poultry.

The Indian Runners

MAKING HISTORY

Nearly every mail brings inquiries as to the various types of
indian Runner, or recitals of experience with the ‘breed in one type
or the other. As to the birds themselves, I have little difficulty
in replying to questions.“ As to origin, history, etc., the people
vho have the facts have varied in their willingness to let the public

»ave them

at least through this medium; and it has had them
‘hrough no other medium thus far. The public wants these facts
nd it wants them badly

Several of the earlier breeders gave me all the help I asked.
‘or this they have my hearty thanks, and I know that they will
have that of the public which is interested in Indian Runners, as
vell. Others ignored my request, or answered far afield.” To one
reeder, I wrote thus: ‘‘Davis, of ‘Michigan, tells’ me that’ yout’
vere one of the original breeders of Indian Runners. I want to
“nd out just when they came into the United States and who im-
‘orted them. Do you know who was the first, and whether or not
ne birds came from England? Also, how long ago? I see Mc=
-arew says little is known about them. | know what English breed-

‘rs say, but it seems to me that it ought to be possible to find out

42

where United States breeders got them, and when the first were 1m-
ported. It has been given out here that they came from the West
Indies, which [ do not at all believe, unless the two types which we
are breeding at present in this country had a different origin en-
tirely.. Reply would very greatly assist,’’ etc.’ All but one of these
cuestions was ignored in the answer.

I had two ideas in mind in speaking of origin. The West
[Indian story, which I have refuted elsewhere, had. gone all over
the United States. and, having been credited to a reputable writer,
who was a breeder of the Indian Runners before most of us had
heard of them, :t was quite generally accepted as fact; especially
by those who did not know much about the duck in England, and
what the best [English breeders had to say about it. Moreover,
!neland aid the \West Indies have had many dealings, throughout
many years, and it was not an incredible story, in the light of possi-
bilities, that our Indian Runners should have come to us, in part, at
least, through the West Indies.

Aside from this, there was the possibility of different origins
of different strains. Last winter, at the New York show, a man
prominent in afiecting the fate of Indian Runners in this country
ivy his public acts, said, in my hear:ng, that it would be very easy

indeed to reproduce the Indian Runners by the use of two or three

of our earl’er breeds,—at least as far as the solid fawn marking,
on white was concerned. All breeders of fancy fowls know, after
they have a little experience with breeding and exhebiting, that no
man dare say what blood is in any one strain of birds of any breed,
when it has been long out of the originator’s hands. That ‘‘for-
eign’” blood has been put into the Indian Runner of some strains,
no breeder of experience and observation can fail to see. Indeed,
it is usually admitted, in a general way, although no one confesses
to having introduced such blood. When a bird which, in its purity,

should stand very erect, degenerates into a logy, heavy bird which

43

it is very difficult to breed out of the horizontal carriage, there 1s
a reason—with apologies to the owners (?) of this clause! And
every experienced breeder knows in a general way what that reason
is’ When a bird that is, in its’ purity, rather definitely “and
strongly marked with a dark color, throws a large number of white
specimens, as many complainants affirm that the ‘‘fawn’’ Indian
Runners do, there is white blood back of it somewhere. White
will ‘not prevail so ‘widely in the’ face of) -man‘s continual
selection of the other sort, unless man has made the mistake of
adding more white, and so has strengthened it.

I saw some fine Indian Runners in another state, in the fall
of 1910, bred from ‘‘Walton’’ stock. They were excellent in shape
and beautiful in color. I judged that the importer was trying to
breed on this stock to get shape and carriage, and up through it to
the American Standard. This would be the one best way out of
the difficulty, if it were feasible. But, when a judge of National
reputation assures you that it 1s folly to try to do this, and that the
true way is to buy of the men who now have birds nearest to the
\merican Standard, you want to know ‘‘Why?’’ And you make
your question mark very large.

The fancier would not be unduly dependent on the Standard,
if he could depend on it not to change just as he got somewhere
near its demands. And, when the Assoc:ation makes a mistake ti
is almost in honor bound to stand by it, or to recede from the
point gradually, for the sake of those who have done its bidding,
and bred to the false ideal. Nor can it afford, from one point of
view, to admit that it has made a mistake, although many of its
members will admit this personally. But the farmer must take
what the fancier hands down to him, if he wants anything new m
the way oi a breed, and while the association helps him on one hana,
it injures him on the other.

On the day before I write this chapter, a letter came in the

44

morning mail, from one of a firm of farmers who evidently want
to grow up into fanc'ers, but can by no means afford to ignore the
utility side of breeding. The letter said: ‘‘I have some good In-
dian Runners, and want to keep only the best. However, my best
ducks I cannot take to the Fairs, as they are too dark. Yet, they
produce the eggs we prefer,—the white ones.’’ But this man is nut
so badly off as is the one who wants to raise Runners solely for tie
eggs, when such a one chances to get his stock from a breeder wu:
the sol'd fawns. If he gets from these a large proportion of green
eges, he is diappointed, disgusted, discouraged, and can get no
redress.

On the day previous to the receipt of the above mentioned
letter, I received another inquiring about the white-egg sort, and
saying: ‘‘I have some of the green-egg kind, but am not satisfied
with the color of the eggs.’’ A large breeder wrote me, the same
week: ‘‘An inqu:rer, an M. D., writes to know if I will sell ducks
guaranteed to lay white eggs or money refunded; that he would
not have layers of green eggs at any price, nor as a gift; that he
would hardly eat them if well-cooked.’’ Of course, this is largely
« matter of personal whim, as far as not eating a green-shelled egg
is concerned. But we need to remember that the great bulk of the
Indian Runner eggs must shortly be sold to the public at large, few
of whom lack personal whims, of one sort or another. It is our
business to humor those whims just as far as we may. And we
know that the people of much of our country have been taught to
demand white eggs; whether it be a whim, or not, does not affect
the fact with regard to the call for white eggs.

A Texas rancher who thought to take Fortune by the top-
knot, as it were, and haul her into his service, wrote as follows:
‘‘The penciled ducks are better than ] thought. I thought I would
order several pens from different parties and stock up on the best.
My only wish is that I had bought all penciled Runners.’ The

45

Much enlarged to show the delicate Lacing, which does not appear in any ordi-
nary photograph. Bred to English Standard, but rather full in breast.
QvoraTion: ‘‘The two varieties (American and English types) have the same
stvle of carriage. « °* All the difference is in color of plumage.’’?( ——— )
Compare the types on these opposite pages and see if you agree with him !

A poor cut, but a Goop bird.

sh &
Sars &

#

Indian Runner Males, American Standard, of the best thus far produced. One a winner of
first in one of the best Shows.

ducks had converted the rancher to the penciled type, befcre they
had time to lay an egg for him. The solid fawn is so handsome, in
the best specimens, that I should hardly expect such sudden con-
vers‘on, but I have the buyer’s own testimony, in writing, as ta
the fact.

One or two letters which I have in hand are so bitter in ex-
pressing an opinion about the matter of change of type that 1 do
uot think it wise to publish them, even without signatures. Onc
breeder, in especial, stated with hot comment, that he would hold to
ihe genuine type, even if they should be disqualified by the Ameri-
can Committee, in the revision of the Standard.

One letter, from an inquirer not at all familiar wth the In-
dian Runner, asks many questions. Among others, ‘‘Are they
hardy?’’ The descriptive adiective ‘‘hardy’’ usually appears in any
recital of the virtues of these ducks, but no one has enlarged upon it.
io my knowledge. When people ask such a question as tiis, I 1m-
:ediately wonder what they mean by ‘‘hardy.’’ Able to withstand
snow? Cutting winds? Dampness? Extreme cold? What is
‘fextreme’’? ‘We have the light winters of the south, and the 40-
degrees-below-zero of the northwest. Which of these is the fair
test? Or is it a point in between? I can testify to the limit of
six below zero. I have seen Indian Runners, just maturng, run-
auing in the open, in December’s bitter days, with not a bit of shel-
ter but some small coops, which they ignored. The yards were
strongly wind-swept, and the birds were out all night as well as
all day. They sat on their feet, and hid their heads in their ruffs,
when it was coldest, and especially during cutting winds. No one
with any experience with fowls would expect eggs under such con-
ations, of course. But the ducks were doing well enough other-
wise, and happy as larks, even on the snow, as soon as it began to
thaw. I judge them to be hardier in some respects than any breed

of hens I have had experience with—and that is a great many.

oO

49

‘*They do not require any shelter after they are grown,’’ is the tes-
timony of another breeder. Nevertheless, all who expect to get
eggs at the north in the colder months must provide shelter, and
see that the birds do not stay much in cutting wind. Too close
shelter is not desirable, especially for breeding stock.

All poultry yards, whether for hens or other birds, should
have shelter on the sides toward the prevailing winds; this is only
common-sense. Hedging, shrubbery, low-branching trees—any of
these may afford the shelter needed. I think there is no doubt that
the Runners would prefer a shelter consisting only of a roof, with
thickly-branched shrubs for one or two sides; for they are very
suspicious, and are much wilder when enclosed than when free
to go about. Whether this would be warm enough to permit lay-
ing, I am not sure; think it doubtful, at least in the three worst
months. The breeders who report that their birds lay ‘‘remarkably
well’? during the winter probably do not house them on the hither
side of an iceberg; though even that would be more comfortable,
it may be, than an open sweep of cutting winds. Think a minute!
Even inside your dwellings. unless very warmly built, a keen gale
will make forty degrees difference next to the windward sides.
How much more bitter will it be outside!

I see that one enthusiast says that hotels and restaurants
will not use any other sort of eggs if they can get Indian Runner
. duck eggs. There is good sense behind the statement—regarding
it rather as a prophecy—because these are the places that must often
consider quantity; and in any table portion where eggs enter in as
quantity, and not as eggs in natural form, two duck eggs will
always take the place of three hens’ eggs, so that these caterers
need but pay for eight, instead of a dozen, to do the same work.

As to the horde of bakers who are said to have been using
rotten eggs lately, the Indian Runner breeder looks for no custom
from them. He will prefer to stick to the hotels and restaurants

49

which ‘‘will not use any other kind’’ but big, sweet. Indian Runner
Messrs. M. and S., Indian Runner breeders of, the middle-
west, both of whom have kept: both types of Indian Runner, testify
to their experiences on.the-same page of a 1910 number of one, of
Gur poultry papers. ,Mr.,S. states that he can find na difference
in the laying quality of the two types, but refers to the tendency, of
the laced birds toward a:dark head and rump, as a-defect. But, this
is exactly what the Standard they are bred to-demands them to
have. , wee
Mr. .M: on the contrary, says, that the -laced birds are super-
ior to the solid fawn sort in hardiness, and in the “‘prodyctien of

more and larger white-shelled.,eggs.’’

He also says that. when the
Indian. Runner comes to be bred. for market eggs mainly, “‘you
must have a supply of large,,.white eggs to please the trade and

99

cbtain the highest: price.’?. Ten times its weight ,within the: year,
is what he avers that laced ducks of this breed, properly handled,
will produce. He bases his: preference fundamentally on the fact
that the laced birds are the stronger birds and the better layers.

Mr. S. again, finds the solid colored birds easier. to breed to
Standard requirements, and thinks this. is a virtue; while Mr. M.
reiterates that it is the largest amount of white-shelled eggs that
the people want, and thus stands for the English-bred, penciled birds.
These, he breeds largely, and sells at good prices. ss

If I have not, on the other pages of this book, made it. suffi-
ciently clear that I have no wish to coerce-the fancier who -likes
the fawn and white birds into raising anything else, I. want-to do
so. now. . But, I_ have seen his birds where he shows his best. I
know them to be,inferior to the original type in several respects,
because he has :too far ignored true type, in.a craze for a certain
color, In doing this, as all know, he breaks, like many other breed-

ers, a fundamental rule of the law-giving Association. But what

: 50 .

of that? Is he not a fancier, and may he not do as he fancies?
Neither, for any cause, would I put a handsome bird out of
existence; but I certainly would oppose her shoving aside the real
claimant to honors; especially when it means that many a farmer,
caught by the name and the fame of the ‘‘Indian Runner’’ will be
deluded into buying the green-ege ‘‘solid fawn’? type, only to

> when these birds begin to lay.

‘tear his-hait’

I first took this breed up to test it for the benefit of the
thousands of readers of a prominent farm paper. I found it better
than I expected, and I found many more people interested than I
had looked to see. It is because of these people, and many others
like them, who will in the future want to know as much as possible
about the Indian Runners, that I have ventured to differ from that
great and wise body, the American Poultry Association, and many
of the good fanciers who compose it and to make that difference
public, so that well-informed buyers may know what they are do-

ing.

La

iy

Best All-Around Handling of
THE BREEDING STOCK

CHAPTER VIIl

There is a knack about the handling of ducks which has to
be learned. It is fortunate that it can be learned quite readily
irom the literature. Much of it lies in knowing just where ducks
differ from hens, in their requirements. The love of ducks for the
water is well known, and the very fact that they fall in the ‘‘ Water
Fowl’’ class affirms it.

Still, it is very difficult to some to realize that ducks always
need drinking water before they need feed; and, on the other hand.
it is difficult to realize that ducks can be raised virtually as land
birds, with no water but that which a tub may hold; and that, if
they have good grass range, they will not seem to suffer material
deterioration. It is, of course, much harder to raise yarded ducks
without running water, since they love to play in water, will
waste much that is provided for them, and cannot be neglected in
this matter. If they are without drinking water a single half hour,
they become uneasy, noisy, and obtrusive of their sufferings. In
small quarters, ducks are said to be, in general, the most easily

52

managed of all domestic fowls; (some say, the most profitable.
zlso.) I saw an instance of this, as far as it relates to housing,
which was a revelation as to the easy adaptability of ducks to the
conditions wh:ch they must needs meet. The duck shelter to which
» refer was just a one-room, dirt-floor, double-pitch arrangement.
the upper half of the usual siding being replaced by wire netting.
The floor measurement may have been ten by twelve feet. Througli
the center, lengthwise, nearly the whole length, ran an alley. At
one end and on the sides of this alley, were, I think, seven pens
for ducks. The cat was not there to be ‘‘swung,’’ but I am sure
there was not room in any one of these divisions. Yet, the ducks
seemed to be doing well enough. The matter that saved the situa-
tion was that the shelter stood at the head of a steep slope, and there
Was running water at the bottom to which the mature birds had
continual access. Such confined quarters (‘‘sevenths,’’ rather)
are not to be advised; but the story shows how especial care in one
direction may offset, when necessary, some neglect or lack in an-
other.

Duck houses are of the simplest construction, and about the
only need is a roof with three or four walls, and some rather deep,
clean litter. Many times, they prefer to sit out, entirely exposed
to the weather. But this is a matter which affects their breeding
value much,,gin some seasons. A valuable breeding bird requires
comfort, and if she have not a comfortable shelter and warm litter.
many of her eggs will be wasted through chilling, during the early
part of the year. One should not forget that, although ducks are
water fowl, they need dry shelters and drained soil, at least near
their sleeping place. I have seen ordinary puddle ducks, probably
once kin to the Rouen aristocracy, sit all night in the dead of win-
ter on a pond, just where it was fed from a living spring. But

these ducks were not expected to lay until March.

$3

MAKING A VIGOROUS BREEDER

The foregoing remarks indicate the general ‘handling which
goes to the making of ‘a vigorous breeder, or.a. vigorous layer.
The market duck is handled differently while growing, especially
in the matter of feed. The very sweeping statement has been
made that there is only one duck for profit, as that one is so far
superior to all the others. But this statement was penned eleven
years ago, when the very name of Indan Runner was practically
unknown in this country. More recently, an extensive grower of
the big, market ducks has told me that, in his opinion, there would
néver be any market for the Indian Runner. Fortunately growers
of Indian Runners are disproving this to some extent, although at
the present wr: ‘ting, these ducks are unknow n to the majority, prob-
ably, of city commission men. Indeed, in New “York City itself,

have found only one firm familiar with the Indian Runner by
haine, The author of ‘‘Poultry Crait’? says that exclusive duck
iarming c an be made profitable only near a large city, where there
isa good demand for ducks; a few ducks, he admits, can be erowll
profitably almost anywhere. The same author says that, on large
plants, the estimated cost of growing is up to eigh t cents a pound,
and that special duck farmers. would soon hay et to go out of busi-
ness through the es, fouling of the soil, and its consequent un-
healthfulness, did they not use the latter part of the summer season
in making it sanitary, through the use of. growing crops.

Fortunately, the Indian Runner can make good so fully in a
cingle, special line, that of ege g production the year around, that we
scarcely need to listen to the market men, no matter what they
have to. say about real, market. ducks. The Runner breeders. will
have only to dispose of their worn-out layers, and the Runners lay
well until several years old, accord: ng to testimony. a

The feed, then, will not be that of the market duck, but

that of the breeder and layer. One part green food to two parts

54

grain. mixture is the general rule to produce a well-framed duck.
All will. be fed on this basis till, possibly eight weeks old.. After
this, the market ducks needs more corn in some form. The stock
to. be grown on is kept on about the same rat’on right along till
it.is time for laying to begin. It is understood that meat is always
ted after the ducklings are a few days or a week old, the amount
being. increased as the birds get larger. Ten per cent is about the
average given to the ducks well started, which is sometimes in-
‘creased to twelve per. Cent just, beiore fattening. time; if they are
to go to market.
. _ lf a single article of food were to be mentioned as of more
value to duck breeders than any other, doubtless it would be bran.
Bran, however, differs, in these times, from the older mill product,
and modern brans are not all alike. I eh to impress especially the
need of securing a good grade of feeding stuffs for ducks. Tainted
meat, or moldy ground stuff will w ork quick “hayoc with ducklings,
at almost any age. ‘Some time ago, a correspondent wrote to in-
quire what could be done for the ducklings, which had suddenly
begun to die by the score and almost by the hundred. Every pos-
sible point of failure was canvassed, but handling seemed to be
correct upon all, till we came to the question of spoiled feed. “Then
it came out that a mill which had been relied upon, was putting
out a product made from grains tl lat had virtually become rotted
in the fields. |
Ducks have a desirable quality in the fact that they will not
eat when really sic and thus they have some chance to recover.
The universal testimony is that a duck well- hatched is as good as
raised, after one gets the knack, and the chief “difficulty in raising
ducks inheres in their greedy desire to gorge themselves, combined
with neglect, by their owner, to make sure that they always have
water to help them at this weak point. Dry feed and withheld

water are. the duck’ s worst combination foe. Considerable can be

55

done to ward off trouble by soaking the cracked corn which is
used, for an hour or so before feeding it. (The only point to watch
out against is letting it ferment in extreme warm weather.) Being
then swollen before it is eaten, it will not make trouble by swelling
after being eaten. The duck has no crop proper, like the hen. The
feed is passed into the stomach, and thence through the other or-
gans of digestion. The duckling eats eagerly and often. This is,
no doubt, the chief reason why it does not do to use too much hard,
dry grain, or to omit water at any time. We have found much satis-
faction in feeding stale bread soaked in milk, in connection with
bran, for the first few weeks. Cracked corn is used for one meal
a day, and clover, cut sweet-corn stalks, grass, rape, weeds, cab-
bage, beet pulp and other things that may be handy, help out the
growers who may not have grass range.

The matter of shade is one which must never be overlooked.
| have seen, on farms where there was abundance of delightful
shade, both duck and chicken coops located out in the open, under
a broiling July or August sun. At the same time, the shallow
water dishes were entirely dry, it might be for hours. Such ducks
and chickens are pre-destined to die of mysterious (?) causes, and
none can ward this off till shade and water become a part of the
constant conditions under which they grow. Ducks are very sen-
sitive to the heat of summer suns, and I have seen even the less
sensitive chickens thrown into convulsions or limberneck during
the awful heat of midsummer conditions without shade. The best
of things can, however, be overdone. The one safe way is to make
both shade and sunshine free to the younglings, and let them choose
for themselves which they will take at any one time. It is not
necessary, as one breeder did, when told to provide shade, to coop
the ducks so that they could not get from under the dense shade
of an overhead grape arbor. Even summer days vary much, and

summer nights become as cold as autumn, at times. I have worn

56

mittens on the fourth of July, and even then suffered with the cold,
in New York state. An exception, of course, but one never knows
when an exception may arise. [Forethought is one’s best defence,
and must be a continual part of the poultryman’s panoply.

It is altogether better to feed and water outs‘de the shelters,
except under very unusual conditions. All who keep ducks under
cond:tions which require yarding, make much use of small grit, and
inmany use charcoal also, at least, occasionally. Charcoal is espe-
cialy good in the case of trouble with indigestion. But, inasmuch
as the old saw about locking the barn after the horse is stolen ap-
plies with great force to ducks, the wise duck grower stud’es his
conditions carefully, and so plans as to render impossible, those
things which are likely to make trouble in the duck yard.

One careful grower known to me who would by no means
be caught napping about anything in the regular preventive line,
has lost a large bunch of ducks through hunters; another, through
the ducklings having eaten rose beetles.

The sexes are usually about equally represented in the young
stock. Occasionally, a freakish hatch may be very unequal. One
buyer, in 1910, reported one duck and nine drakes raised from
one setting of eggs; while another, more under fortune’s care, ap-
parently, reports, on the very morning when I am writing this
chapter, three drakes to nine ducks.

One breeder suggests that beginners could more easily enter
upon poultry culture with Indian Runners than with any variety
of hens, because they ‘‘would meet with but few of the vexing
problems and setbacks that would fall to their lot if they tackled
chickens.’’ The first requisite in handling, he says, is to get pure-
bred Runners, ‘‘free from crossing with Pekin and other ducks.”’

To speak definitely of our own experience, I may say that we
have hatched and raised our Runners entirely with hens. Early in
the season, I give not. more than nine eggs to a hen. This is equal

Sy!

os, A nest with a sod or earth bottom is best. The

iOslo- Melis. Coo

cees are supposed to hatch in 28 days, but I have had a brood all
cut and in the coop before the end of the 28th day. The ducklings
require little feed the first day or two. I do not try to feed them
til they: beg:n.to. look for it, for they do not: need 1t earlier” (Shey
~hould have water in a shallow dish so that they cannot get wet in
it, and this means refilling it often. ‘The first feed is stale bread
soaked an sweet milk. Ii D-couldn’t. get this): ]-fhink,: from my
present knowledge, | might feed Spratt’s Duck feed, just at first.
\fter a very few days, I add to the soaked bread a littie bran and
middlings, a ttle ground corn and oats with the hulls sifted out,
and some clean sand or fine grit. Just as soon as they will eat it,
| work in succulent feed in the way of chopped cabbage, lettuce, rape
or similar grecns. If the green juicy stuff is not available, scalded
cut clover 1s excellent. But something of this character is impera-
tive for ducks, unless they have abundant good pasturage. I feed
five times daily for the first few, weeks, and m:x in a little sand
orice daily. At least one’ feed 1s -of green Stitt Aiter.a tewadays.
1 add a little good beef scrap; the less milk the more scrap. Don’t
use scrap that smells like fertilizer. And be sure all feed is sound
and sweet. If the milk sours, | would make it into curds and m:x
with the other ingredients, and use a little more bran in proportion.

The ducklings are very sensitive to cold and wet for the first
iew days of their ives. They must have protection from storms till
they are feathered. I have found them so nearly drowned by a
sudden, hard shower that reviving them seemed hopeless. But
drying and warming them by the kitchen range put renewed life
sto the chilled bodies, and they seemed none the worse for the
wett-ng. Their recuperative powers seem to be great. They will
reach the point where they do not need the hen sooner than will
chicks. But they should always have some shelter to which they

can retreat. An open shed seems to suit them admirably.

58

Nestlings, from Indian Runners bred to English Standard.

A shed-l ke house, situated on sloping land, usually open to
the sun, but planned to close at night when necessary and having
cood litter, about covers the real needs, as to shelter, for the
l-reeding ducks, or the layers.

Concerning the most deeply interesting point, as to how
ireely the Indian Runners will lay in the ‘‘off’’ season for hens’
eggs, testimony varies so much as to convince me that .t is quite a
matter of handling.

Mrs. Harshbarger’s ducks lay during the moulting season,
and on into the extreme cold months, She reports 75% of them
laying by February 1. She states that her (large) flock averaged
‘G eggs per duck in 108 days; also, that the eggs laid during the
five poorer months of the year will ‘‘more than pay all expenses
of feed, shipp ng baskets, printing and advertising. for the entire
Meat... x i sse ee

Mrs. Brooks’s birds lay during the moult (to a lesser extent
than in spring, of course) and she ships eggs for hatching in No-
vember, the sparsest month of the year for hens’ eggs. One
breeder, writing in November, says: ‘‘Every mail brings reports of
ducks from my eggs lay:ng.”’

Judge Clipp says that he’ sees duck eggs in the exhibition
coops of the Runners at midwinter (even after trying shipments).

)

The early hatched may begin to lay in July, and ‘“‘anybody’s’’ will

lay in February. Mr. Hurt says thatthe very slender neck, long,
thin body and alert carriage characterize the best layers. ‘‘The
White Queen,”’ the best bird al have seen in America, as regards
venuine type, may well serve as a model for those who would fix
the correct type firmly in mind. Compare her with Walton’s ideal
sketches, published in this country in May, 1910, and see how
l'ttle she lacks of meeting them. She is, in fact, far more beautiful.

Having a good, laying type, one needs to provide comfortable
housing at night, a spot sheltered from winds during the day, and

60

liberal rations, with a goodly proportion of meat. This sums up
ithe matter of the egg harvest.

I m.st not, however, leave any one with the impression that
only one method ot feeding will do for Indian Runner Ducks, or
other ducks. ‘The methods most commonly recommended in handling
ducks have been gleaned chiefly from the handling of the men who
raise them commercially, for the sake of the carcass. They are the
methods of those who yard their ducks, and push them almost beyond

reason when they are to go to market early.

On the farm, especially where there is abundant room and nat-
ural water privileges, one may do differently. I am accustomed to a
rough mental grouping of feeds which is easily possible to any feeder.
It includes the starchy feeds, which are heat and fat makers, (includ-
ing fats themselves with the fat makers, at a higher value); the muscle
and egg makers form my second group; the green feeds, clover meals,
vegetables, form the third. If birds are on free, good range, we need
not think much about this third class. If not, we must make much of
it, and use its members in large proportion. 'We must remember that
grass is not the same as hay, because it is so largely water. Propor-
tions may be roughly in one’s mind, something like one part of muscle-
makers to two of fat and six or seven of the starchy things (which
means, mostly, the grains in their natural state, unground and
undivided as to food values). To produce eggs, one adds a larger pro-
portion of the muscle-makers, like peas, beans, meat, etc. This is all
that is necessary for a feeder to know, except whether any special feed
ranks high as a muscle- maker or a fat maker. It is really the base
of that far more elaborate thing called ‘‘scientific feeding’’.

A very practical difficulty which meets the handlers of laying
ducks is that, in mid-winter, the ducks, being largely night layers,
must be in reasonably warm quarters, or the eggs will freeze. Breed-
ers of ducks especially noted for laying should, therefore, plan fo,

61

warmer housing than others find necessary. This does not mean that
they must provide close, stuffy houses, for these will not work for the
good health and vigor of the stock. The best thing any one can do to
make his shelters warm for stock of any kind is to locate them where
they are sheltered from wind. The closer they are to shelter on the
windward side, the warmer they will be. A second good aid toward
the needed warmth for laying ducks, is deep, soft litter. If this occu-
pies only such portion of the floor as will accommodate the inmates
comfortably, they will group themselves there; as they are very partial
to a nice bed. Thus, their bodies will keep the eggs warm, and early
rising on the part of the handler will do the rest.

The one who handles our ducks recently planned some very
simple houses, which have been put up experimentally. They are
really only deep sheds, being six feet on the front and 12 feet deep.
The height at the front is six and one-half feet, and at the back it
drops to 40 inches. The houses are boarded closely, and covered both
on roof and sides with one of the commercial roofings. The front is
entirely filled by two curtains which drop against the strip binding the
house in front, and which open flat against the roof whenever desirable.
The more they are up, the better for the birds.

This house has been planned to meet several difficulties which
experience showed. The door is on the side, rather close to the front.
It is double, having an outer solid shutter and an inner frame covered
with wire netting. The depth of the house is to permit the easy hand-
ling of litter which I mentioned; to allow, also, feeding near the front
on stormy days, and to protect from inblowing wet and snow. The
curtains are of cheap muslin. A man who had used duck, which used
to be so much recommended, told me that he thought the muslin much
better. The duck does not permit sufficient influx of air, he said.
Were it not for the color and weight, which darken the inner house
somewhat, I should use loose bagging, nearly always available on the

farm at no cost. We do use it wherever possible.

62

Ever since I have takea special interest in poultry, Mr. Hunter
has been trying to drum it into the heads of all whom it may concern
that the three ; oints necessary to winter eggs are early hatching, good
“growing” and pullets for a stand-by. In similar way, I might make
three points for ducks; early hatching, proper feeding, comfortable
housing. Without all these the duck will not give returns in winter.
The very werd, “‘returns’’ points to the fact that she must RECEIVE
first. Let no breeder forget this.

Even when she has given her returns in eggs, it yet remains for
her owner so to educate or to select his market that the cash returns
shall be of the best. This matter is one in which our southern people
should be especially interested, as they have the best chance, on ac-
count of their climate. In March, 1g10, a produce reporting paper
gave 22 and one-half to 23 cents as the lowest price for hen’s eggs,
reached up to the date of report, during that season. On the same
date it was reported that duck eggs were beginning to move, toward
the New York market. They were classed as ‘‘Baltimore’’ eggs, though

oe

some came from Tennesses ‘“‘and other western points.’”’ Baltimore
duck eggs were reported as bringing 42c. at the same time that hens’
eggs were bringing a cent or two more than ONE-HALF this price.
When we have actual market reports showing what is possible in the
line of returns from duck eggs, at least during a portion of the season,
we do not need to guess. And J note that southern inquirers are
plentiful, and eager Europe sent us a good many cases of eggs last
year. Shall we not rather raise our own? I note in certain market
news that prices drop to “almost one half’’ on duck eggs, after Easter.
But, if this one-half is even then equal to the price of hens’ eggs, no
need complain very bitterly. The market for duck eggs has to work
itself out, but it seems to be doing very well at present. And I think
it may be expected to improve steadily, once the Indian Runner eggs
become known in city markets. Ignorant old New York will get them
after a little, and LEARN SOMETHING TO HER ADVANTAGE !

63

Some Spurious and Some

GENUINE INDIAN RUNNERS

CHAPTER IX

By Mrs. Andrew Brooks.

[Mrs. Brooks is the friend of the Indian Runner. She lives
on a farm and knows: farm needs, and she is a true fancier.
She has done such valiant work in trying to preserve what
she believes to be the only ‘‘true’’ Indian Runners, and to introduce
them here because of their economic value, that we have asked her

to write something of her views of our monograph. C. 5S. V.]

As Indian Runners have been in this country only a few
years, and an unjust and misfit Standard of so-called ‘‘Perfection’’
was made for the breed, practically disqualifying true Runners and
standardizing mongrels, the present mixed and confusing state of
affairs is not surprising.

In making a standard, attention should be paid to nature’s
laws. This was not done. It is an established fact that the natural
colors of Indian Runners are fawn and white, the female having
penciled plumage, while the drakes have cap and cheek markings of
dull, bronzy green with rumps bronzy black or brown, turning
dark brown or fawn when coat is old (the shade depending upon

64

the length of time that has elapsed since the molt, but never the
same as body color). The American Standard has demanded the
same color in both sexes, namely, ‘‘light fawn,’’ even throughout.
Such a standard places a premium on faking: blood foreign to the
hreed was bred in to secure light fawn color with no pencil ng on
plumage of females and drakes having head and rump markings
the same as the body color. As would be expected, this addition of
ioreign blood has brought about grave structural changes, altered
the color of the eyes, also the color and size of the eggs, besides les-
sening the number of eggs. The chief value of the Indian Runners
lies in their capacity to be veritable ege-factories of large, white,
marketable eggs.’ As layers of such eggs, and as foragers, the
Standard hit them hardest, requiring wrong posit’on of legs, de-
stroying the characteristic Runner gait and making less able forag-
crs of them. The new Standard may possibly be an improvement
over the old one in some respects, but I understand that it demands
the brown eyes, which have been acquired in making over the breed
to conform to standard requirements, and to produce the required
color of plumage. ”:A shade in color of feathers would not much
matter but it should not be gained at the sacrifice of utility value.
Longfellow in The Builders said: Te

_‘*Nothing useless is or low
“» Each thing in its place is best;
And what seems but idle show
Strengthens and supports the rest.”’

This applies‘to fancy and commercial poultry; for, it should
be remembered that the whole poultry industry is a structure rest-
ing upon the ‘‘firm and ample’’ foundations of economic value.
lf we tear this down and destroy utility, how long will the industry
survive?

I have had much correspondence with Indian Runner breed-
ers in all parts of the United States and all their testimony proves

65

“paepueys YSI[sug 0} pag “Buipooiqg ,,uoWeA-j[VYy, JO yooy Aassal MON V

the same thing, viz., that eggs from the I'ght fawn American Stand-
ard-bred ducks are laid in fewer numbers; such stock does not be-
gin to lay so early in the season by some weeks; also ceases lay-
ing earlier in the fall: while true Runners do not cease entirely,
even during the moult, as I can testify from experience. A worse
fault, in the light fawn ducks, is that they mostly lay green or
tinted eggs of smaller size, that do not sell for so much. Our best
markets call for white eggs, and owing to their mixed parentage
these light fawns cannot reproduce themselves reliably. All my
correspondents tell the same story of sending for eggs at high
prices (naming the most prominent breeders;) of getting green or
tinted or mixed colors of eges that produce ducklings which show
lack of uniformity, some being mostly yellow, some [ght and some
dark. One man wrote: ‘‘I want to acquire a flock of genuine
English Runners that will be second to none. I have had enough
of mongrels...I want a duck that will lay white eggs and plenty
of them and reproduce themselves in type and markings, instead
of the young looking I’ke they were the result of mixing half a
dozen widely different breeds. I’m sick and disgusted with my
humiliating experience with Standard Indian Runners. I have them
that were hatched from eggs from ducks claimed to score 96 points
and there is not one closer to the Indian Runner Standard than ts a
Rouen.’’ Another, late in the season said he had spent weeks in
trying to find eggs from flocks guaranteed to lay only white eggs
and had not discovered one such flock. He judged by the discus-
sion which he read in the papers about the Standard that I must
have them, and added: ‘‘For heaven’s sake don’t say you have
all the orders you can fill.’? One inquirer asks: ‘‘Will you fur-
nish ducks that are guaranteed. to lay white eggs only, or money
refunded?’’ It is a significant fact that most of such inquiries
come from the midst of the country where the light fawns are most
extensively bred. Another writer, who met with disappointment

67

in trying to breed the American Standard, wrote of buying the

b]

highest priced birds the most prominent “ight fawn’’ breeder
would sell, keeping them side by side with real Runners with the
same care and feeding, only to find that they were not so valuable
«ws the ducks they were trying to displace, as they were so much
yoorer layers, and of tinted eggs. [Hundreds of ducks lay ng green
or tinted eggs are kept in some flocks. The eggs are scattered
broadcast all over the country to purchasers who believe that they
are buying Runners, innocently supposing that ‘‘Runners are Run-
ners,’’ and not knowing that there are imitations of the real article,
which are sold as genune. This is only a faint picture of the
-ituation. No wonder that true Runners are scarce: and high
priced, i |

Who can count the cost ofthe harm: done?:: It is: beyond
com utation. The fancy and the utility:should go together, but
as matters now stand prospective buyers will have to decide
whetner they will breed for show and fancy requ rements or’ whether
‘hey want the most valuable, practical duck from the utility’ point’
of view, the ones giving best money value, For us, we will concede
Standard excellence (?) to the fanciers; they are welcome to the
duck they have created! Theirs will answer for exhibition pur-
poses, as judges must place awards according to Standard. We
will concern ourselves with maintaining the breed in its highest
type and purity for the farmer and utility breeder. Runnes are pre-
eminently the farmers’ breed.. They .are .at their ‘best on the free
1ange of the farms, as they get along with less care than hens.
They are what the farmers need in these days of high priced labor.
Runners will lay as many eggs as the best breeds of hens. No
other breed of ducks will lay so many white eggs; none are such
foragers, or so capable of gaining a large share of their I-ving, thus
reducing the cost of feed, and they adapt themselves well to ad-

verse corditions. In the eighth annual Australian Lavine com>e-
5 Det ‘

68

tition two pens of Runners averaged above 200 eggs each. As no
meat was obtainable, no an'mal food was fed in their ration dur-
ing. the time of the test. What hens fed in like manner could have
made so good a showing? Meat or animal food is even more neces-
sary for ducks than for hens. When given free range they find
muchi::of- it for themselves, working as they do, . busy
as bees from morning till late at night (stormy days the same or
more so) thrusting their bills deep into the grass, searching for
worms or insects. Nothing escapes their notice! A farmer who
is a near neighbor of ours has six Runners, yearlings. Now, in the
latter part of November he is receiving 4 or 5 eggs every day and
feeds them only corn; no mash at all. As they have free range, |
suppose they balance their own ration. They are kept dry-bedded
at night: the first essential in raising ducks. Early hatched young
cucks or- yearlings, or older birds, if managed right, will lay as well
or better than hens, in the fall when prices are high and eggs most
»ppreciated. I know personally that, with such care as the average
tarmer can give, they will give flock averages of 150 eggs each in a
year. The results of the annual duck laying competitions in Aus-
tralia are very interesting and instructive, but I am not so much
concerned with the records of such tests or the records of individual
iayers, as I am in the flock averages of these ducks, when well man-
aged on the free range of the farms or in the hands of the utility
poultry breeder. The labor question is getting to be a serious one,
hut the ducks help to solve it, as they are more easily cared for
than hens. They are not troubled with lice nor mites, so that there
are no houses to spray nor roosts to grease, no frozen combs to
treat, no dropping boards to scrape off, no scratching up of gardens
nor flying into grain bins. Nor is there need for so many males
as are needed with the larger breeds: one male being sufficient for
ten or more females on free range. They can be housed very
cheaply; fences cost less when the ducks have to be yarded, as low

69

fences will hold them; when matured, they eat no more than hens.
It is also less work to raise the young stock since they grow up so
quickly. The young ones may be brought into laying at five months
of age, and eggs sell for more than hens’ eggs. As the call has
been so great for hatching eggs I sell at market only a portion of
the time, but I have sold enough to know that eggs will sell for
five to six cents per dozen more than hens’ eggs. Have shipped to
a commission dealer in New York for the month before Easter
when I received from 18 to 20 cents per dozen more than I received
for hens’ eggs. I learned that after Easter commission men pay
a premium of five cents per dozen more than they pay for Leghorn
eggs. They may be packed in one side of case by themselves if
there are not sufficient to fill the case.

Runners are so valuable for layers that they are not sold to
any extent at market for the table. But the surplus males find
sale at good prices, the meat being so tender and delicious. It ‘s
really in a class by itself, as it has such rich, gamy flavor. Since
they grow up so quickly and cost less to feed than Pekins there is
no reason why enterprising poultrymen cannot build up a good

trade for them as market ducks.

70

The Future of the
INDIAN RUNNERS IN AMERICA

CHAPTER, xX

There is no question, I think, that at the present writing, (after
the last meeting of the Revision Committee in 1910), the majority
of the fanciers of the country favor the plain, fawn type that has
been convicted of laying so many green eggs (showing impurity,
Mr. Jaeger says!) It could hardly be. otherwise, indeed, since the
Standard has demanded for some years back, that only such birds
should be bred. Of course, all but the independent thinkers fol-
lowed Ike sheep, whatever the Standard demanded, whether it
meant a good Indian Runner, or not. And, I have no doubt that
most of them have taught themselves to admire the plain feathers
most, in the Indian Runner, even if they did not do so at first. Yet,
the very same breeders would go into raptures over a Cornish In-
dian hen if she showed extra good penciling! Many’ of these breed-
ers are so inconsistent as to argue for the ereater beauty of the
plain Runner, when it is a well-known fact that pencilings, lacings,
and the like have given all the more distinctive beauty to our won-
derfully varied breeds of the ornamental types among our domestic
fowls. Those distinctively known as ‘‘ornamental’’ (therefore es-

G3

pecially beautiful, of course) are the ones that show most variation
in colors and markings. ‘The plain are simply—well, plain, and that
is all there is to it.

Many of the judges, I am told, have Indian Runners. I can
name several whom I know to breed them. Of course, they have
exceptional opportunities to get good, Standard birds, and it would
be too much to expect of human nature that all these people should
uow be willing to have a differing bird made Standard, off hand,
no matter if it is the true, original Runner, and a better, economic
bird.

There were, in a dozen of the best poultry papers, during the
height of the 1910 season, something like 160 breeders advertising
Indian Runners, virtually all claiming the ‘‘true’’ type. Those of
the plain-feather camp, meant ‘‘true to American Standard.’’ Those
who bred the original Runner, meant ‘‘true to the English Standard
type,’’ though I fancy most of them have tried to lighten the color
as to make the pencilings rather ind’stinct. Indeed indistinct pen-
ciling is what the English Standard calls for.

The content of ‘‘truth’’ in the Indian Runner of the future

should be incontestably large,since there is so much variation, yet

?

all ‘‘true.’’ It is also true that variation is likely to continue.
Among all the breeders whom I know to have carr'ed the English
type, the large majority have announced their intention of keeping
to that type, regardless of what the American Standard for fancy
fowls may be. The chief, economic reasons which they give are:
the better laying of the English type; and, the white eggs. The
promise is, then, that there will continue to be bred in this country
two types of [ndian Runner, differing from each other really more
than the white Orpington, say, differs from the white Plymouth
Rock. Both will claim to be ‘‘true,’’ and the confusion that will
result will be intensified as numbers increase.

This means that it behooves every one who wants Indian

72

Runners, no matter of which type, to inform himself thoroughly as
to the differences in the two types, and to be very sure that he
buys of a breeder who has what he wants. The two types have
been bred together, which of course makes more confusion. The
oldest of the breeders here of the English type sold birds, years ago,
to the chief promoters of the American Standard type of to-day.
Very many breeders have tried both types. Perhaps a dozen of
them have written of their experiences in the poultry papers. Of
them all, I think only one has reported that the American type
were the better layers. All the others stated that, when handled
side by side, the Engl’sh type were the better layers.

I am not for a minute in opposition to those who really want
to breed the Runner of the American, Standard type. What I do
want, is to make sure that the farmers who are to supply the great
majority of buyers of Indian Runner eggs for hatching, for some
years at least, shall get the type of bird that will prove most prac-
tical. They will stand, to a man, for the white-egg type, I am
certain. They will also stand for the English type strongly when
they are made to know that it calls for a bird with longer body, and
therefore with more egg and meat capacity. Even the Secretary
of the National Indian Runner Club said publicly (June, 1910):
‘If we lower the type and egg production by having them fawn and
white, we certainly should have a different Standard.”’

When we think of the best English Indian Runners, a yard
long from tip of bill to tip of tail, and compare them, mentally, with
the runty, American Standard type too often shown, it is easy to see
why the breeders to American Standard fight against having the
standard weight raised. Many of the pictures of the American type
show a bird with neck about as long as body, not including tail, the
body being short and stumpy at the stern like the one at the right in
our cut of the American Standard-bred males. Often the stern is so

stumpy that it gives a peculiar impression of being “out of drawing

73

someway,” 48 atrartist would say. It does not balance gracefully. The
effect of having the’ legs: sét' 80 far back’ in order to get the running
balance, and then tucking” the stern up 50 stuinpily, is indeed, un-
graceful in the extreme: The’ exhibit fon “birds ‘shown * it “contrast
to the charming graceful white Runner, are from some ‘of the most
prominent breeders’ of the American’ type of Runner. Neither in
shape nor in ‘carriage can they Bombers witht really good Indian
Runners. ie
| If each’ breeder wi wall have the courage of his convictions, and
adv ert.se plainly what he has, it will save much confusion for buy-
ers, and an immense amount of disparagement’ of Indian Rumer
breeders. At the present writing , there are Spemey of buyers ror
both types. A’ short time ago, 1 received an ingu: TY for ‘“first-
class fawn and white stock, ed Believing that this customer wanted
the American type, I answered briefly, telling h'm that the: English
type of Runner ‘which I carried, would’ not win’ ‘firsts for him: in
any large show, under present Standatd demands. wei my surprise,
back came ‘a ‘letter wanting my birds, the price being the same as
would have been asked for. the same grade of birds” bred to’ Ameri-
can “Standard, 1°
Soo iuas scarcely possible, I think, to insist too strongly that those
who believe in the Indian’ Runner as bred to the specific,’ ‘English
Standard, should make clear in edch ‘advertisement, just what they
are offering. “Only in this way, can we avoid the infinite confusion
which is likely to arise. .
Personally, Ts thi nk it would’ be only just if classes should ‘be
made, at least in all the larger shows, for the English- bred duck.
It would be the only -amende ‘that could be made for having taken
the breed name away ‘from’ this) ‘duck “and given it to a mo igrel-
inade dick. "It is perfectly practicable, as I see it, to have classes
for the Englis sh ty pe, and judged by the English Standard.

AST awrite’ the’ clésing words of this chapter, there comes’ to

os 74

my desk a new booklet from a breeder of the ‘‘fawn and wh'te”’
tpye for the last six years. Referring to the Runners of the Ameri-
can type, he mentions their ‘‘real value as a layer of large, green
and white eggs of much value.’’ He also states that he would
prefer all white eggs. Inasmuch as this testimony comes from the
midst of the ‘fawn and white’? camp, surely none who breed the
‘English type can be accused of unfairness or of bias in making simi-
lar statements. And for their own trade, they need only to mike it
widely known that they have the strain known to lay white eggs,

and trade will run to meet them.

yeast

Indian Runners Ducks and

FARM BREEDING

CHAPTER oc)

A letter concerning Indian Runners which came to me in De-
cemb2r, 1910, says:‘‘I’ve tried several breeders in the north and south
to find one who bred the white-egg duck. One, I believed, and parted
with my money, only to discover that I had bought “green” ducks.
The breeder claimed she could fill my demand, as both parents and
grandparents, for that matter, were hatched from white eggs.”’

Another farmer, who does a business large enough to run about
1200 eggs in incubators through April, and who has recently made a
start with English-bred Runners, says: ‘‘I have picked out six females,
all marked alike, fawn with concentric penciling, and will reserve same
for our own breeding. Our females are well taken care of and with
good care and attention to them I am looking for a great egg yield. I
am going to write up a piece to have published later about a farmer’s
experience with Indian Runners, and I hope it will have weight with
that class. For if the average farmer can get eggs in winter from the
Runners when their hens do not lay, you can rest assured they will
have some ’

Because I see no future before the Indian Runner, eventually,
except as a farm duck, I am especially glad to get the farm point of

76

view. The .bove letter was sent on to me by a breeder in another
state, that I might see how farm interest was developing. It will be
noted that, although the writer carries far more than the average of
poultry on a farm, as evidenced by his incubating so many eggs, he is
looki:ig for something that can do better in winter than is customary
with heus. He is of ihe better cluss of farmers, we can guess, because
he selects uniformly marked b.rcs for breeding. ‘He has enterprise, as
is shown by the tacts noted, and by his plan to write up his experience
where it will attract oti.er farmers. Beyond what his letter may thus
show us, | know nothing about him. But I wish the country was ful-
ler than it is of farmers with several of the characteristics which show
in this letter. However, dealing continually, in my work with queries
from farmers all over tiie country, I can testify that there are many
more of the class who have enterprise, education and good hard sense
than people who do not come into touch with them are ready to be-
lieve.

There are already many types of Indian Runners in the country,
entirely aside from the two very distinct and opposing ones to which
so much reference has already been made. It is almost impossible for
any breeder to put his hand to a breed without transforming it to some
extent. This is abundantly shown even in the references to the
““strains’’ of different breeders, and to the differing claims made by
advertisers. How are these changes made? Often—very often, by

’

‘“hocus-pocus.’”’ That is, by putting in a dash of any blood which a
breeder may think will bring the birds nearer to his ideal—usually an
ideal as to feathers and form, rather than as to production. Produc-
tion cannot be ignored, to be sure, but it is made to take at least third
place; for color comes first with the average fancier, then form, then,
if he has no other hobby to work out, production, possibly.

But it is also true that no two breeders can take even the same
strain, with birds very similar, and, working enterely apart, show the

same type of birds at the end of five years. Each puts his own stamp

ri

upon:the breed;.or variety.» It may be that all'the change has been
made by selection of eggs.. It may be:that it has been;:made .only in
the selection of birds to carry on his work.’:/The fact remains that each'
worker is practically certain to put his own: special stamp “his mark”’
upon the birds which he will soon call his ‘‘strain ”’

A breeder who was especially anxious to. preserve and continue
a certain type, wrote another for birds of that type, to be descended
from birds sent out from the yards of the first, some years earlier. It
was made plain that only such birds were wanted. . The testimony of
the first breeder to the outcome is as follows: “I asked, before order-
ing, if they were just as had of me, and in return. the breeder wrate
that they. were my strain, PURE (with the words undérlined). When
they came and I examined them, I could see that other blood had been
used; the penciling was different, not so distinct, of a prettier shade of
fawn; if anything; but they were hardly as good in shape andistyle,
and I was ina panic. I thought I would return them, but finally sold
most.of them, telling the customers just what they were. The remain-
ing suspects I shall put: inca yard by themselves and observe them.’’
Eventually, it came out that.the breeder from whom these ducks came
had had one male from a third: breeder running with the females of the
firstcbreeder’s stock.: There was no suspicion of intentional error, as
farcas I know, for breeder number two was considered honest; but the
incident shows both how soon change.of strain shows in the progeny,
and how difficult.1t is to get just what one wants and definitely orders.
Human: nature seems to have a strangely Paes Cae effect.on varie-
ties of fowls! . eee , Pb test GF 2 ab!

JAo (breeder who had had fawn ducks of, two ee fia two
breeders, wrote me: “I'am satisfied that. I-hurt the laying qualities
by use of the light strain, (the second lot).’? Both these acquisitions
proving to be layers of green eggs, this breeder bought birds again, the
third lot being from a’ well-known white-egg strainy . Another change
then made itself manifest, of which he writes: !* “My-old ducks could

78

not aid would not fly under any circumstances like the last onés: ‘One
ts far ahead of any I have ever seerf in upright carriage, and I would
like to gét all of mine ofthat type.”’

. There is one pointer here that/#s. -worth: noting. The white egg
ducks are of the more active type, and also of better carriage’ than
anything furnished this-treeder by two of ‘the very‘-best breeders of
the solid fawn strains. ES

-Beirig a very ‘honest man, the writer of this letter was ‘anxious
to know about the tendency to flying BECAUSE he had told'customers
that a two-foot fence would confiné'these ducks. I chanced to have a
personal word to add to the solution ‘of’ this problem, becatse I had
bred for some time thé very strain he reported’ as ‘being: such flyers,
and had never used anything but a two-foot fence to confine theim,
nor ever known them to fly over it. But it is perfectly easy to train
these birds, or any others, to be breachy, by using fences too low or
too weak when the birds are young and most active. The size of
yards, too,'may have an influence ‘on this’ especial “characteristic.
Small yards, which offer no good ‘starting point for ‘strong flight; will
often confine thé ‘bitds —anv birds—-much better thah larger yards.
That is, not such high fencés will be dérhanded. It is in the daily and
yearly learning 6f such things as ‘these’ as they come along, that any
poultry raiser gets'“Rnack” and dcéeumulates a store’ of wisdom on
innumerable points which it is simply impossible to pass on in entirety
to any other worker. ‘It {8 one point at a time usually.

Just’ before we°go‘ to press with “The Indian Runner Duck
Book,” an authoritative letter ‘from’ England ig received. It tells of
many inquiries for cheap birds coming from America and says: ‘“Theté
is no one with real good type birds: willing to sell at utility prices. In
fact, I have seen birds for Which ten to twenty “pounds (about fifty to
one hundred dollars) was asked, of very ‘bad type and carriage; in my
opinion, fit only for the pot. I think it unfair to ask those who have
réally good birds to sell them for killing ‘prices; almost.’” Concerning

79

one of the newer American theories as to the origin of Indian Runners,
the same breeder says: ‘“‘It is worth framing, as it is one of the most
incorrect and ridiculous articles I have seen, and the writer is entirely
at sea. ‘The Common Mongrel, etc.,’ would have been a more appro-
priate title.’’

In this connection, I may say that there is a movement in Eng-
land at this writing which promises to develop into the publication of
a thorough and reliable book on the Indian Runner, giving all that is
now known about its history, from the first to the present time. This
1s certainly a movement in the right direction, and I shall look with
much interest for the purposed publication.

The Patent Office at Washington has recently been show:ng
symptoms of interest in the Runners, through an employe. Whether
they are to be patented, or not, is not yet ‘announced. If so, many
breeders will be on edge to learn which type will thus receive recog-
nition !

In other directions, also, matters are moving. I think it was
late in 1910, though I am not quite certain as to the date, that a
breeder in the east sent a trio of English-bred Indian Runners to the
Government Experiment Station of Porto Rico, for experimental pur-
poses. It is quite time some one in authority was doing something
with these ducks, on this side of the Atlantic ocean. For, if the things
which Indian Runner breeders have been saying have been untrue,
they would result in uncounted waste of money for the thousands of
' farmers who will try them. Whereas, if they can be proved true by
some of those in whom the farming coatingent have confidence, it will
mean hundreds of thousands of dollars for the farmer’s pockets. We
know positively that breeders in this country, even women on the
farms, are making hundreds of dollars from their Indian Runners each
year. On the date of January 26, 1911, I received a circular from one
such woman, claiming that her ducks were made to average over ten
dollars each in eight months. It is not likely that this was from

rsYe)

market eggs, however. The crying need-at present is for some Exper-
iment Station here to make an exhaustive test of both types of Indian
Runners for the benefit of the American farmer, on the market egg
basis.

Australia and New Zealand are far ahead of us in the things
they do for the benefit of the farming population and the common
people at large. But, as these matters depend largely on the common
people’s vote, it may be said that they are the ones chiefly to blame
for what they do not get. The average man does not even know what
his government is trying to do for him. And the Government is usu-
ally far more anxious to do something for him than he is to have
things done, if we may judge by what is on the surface. Professors of
Poultry Husbandry, for instance, are jubilant when they succeed, by
all the arts at their command, in getting the names of many farmers.
This is just because they know the Station can help the farmers, as
soon as it gets into touch with them. And the best help must come
through work with the farmers, man by man. In the matter of choice
of type in the Indian Runner, I am in a position to know that our
Agricultural authorities at Washington deliberately threw aside a
chance to do something for the farming people in studying the two
warring types of the Indian Runner. They assumed that the fanciers
were right in breeding to fawn, simply because the fawn contingent was
in the majority and slavishly followed the Standard. As an interest-
ing commentary on this, a disgusted word from one who has bred
Indian Runners for years fits in as nothing else could. He was en-
gaged in the practical job of catching birds to fill a shipment and for
his own breeding pens. Color study was, of course, a main feature in
QO. K.-ing, or discarding specimens, and, as is always the case, many
birds that looked well on their feet had to be rated as seconds on ac-
count of fawn in the flight feathers. I happened to be looking on,
and heard his dictum: ‘Color in Indian Runners is nothing but a
humbug anyway, for they change color every two months. How are

81

\

you going to describe the color fairly when that is the case? It is out
of the question! -And who is going to say which is the right color,
that of December, or of March or of June?” . It ‘struck ame that this
was as pungent a comment on the folly of ruining the distinctiveness
of the Indian Runner (because some one happened to think fawn in
solid color was more desirable than any two shades of fawn penciled
together might be) as could possibly be made. The question must
always be, Which of the varying shades of fawn is Standard fawn, and
when shall the bird be judged on color,—in winter or in summer? If
in summer, or spring, is must be far too dark in December; if in De-
cember it is to be just right, it will be nothing but dirty white in June.
And this everybody knows.

I saw two breeders selecting a bird to fill an order that called
for a high class specimen. The choice lay between two birds, one of
which was nearly perfect in color, but was only moderately long in
body and neck. The other was of beautiful shape and carriage, but
had a flaw in the wing flight. .‘‘Which would you send? Which
would you rather have if you were choosing for your own yard ?”’ said
one to the other. ‘The slim, long bird, every time,’ was the reply.
“What,—sure! even with the flawed wing, and remembering that it

will affect the whole flock?” ‘Yes; even at that. I stand for type
first.”” “But what about shipping it to a customer? Would you de-
cide on that one to fill the order?”’ ‘‘No-—o, I’m afraid not,” was the

half unwilling reply. ‘‘The customer will be better satisfied with the
bird that is better in color.”

All who have bred Runners long know this to be the case; and
the reason is that, though Standard law, as generally applied, theoret-
ically puts shape above color, in actual practice, color, (when at all
hard to get) virtually takes precedence of type, as the birds are judged
in competition. And this is what every breeder of Standard birds has
to meet. He dares not send what he believes to be the better bird,

many times, because custom has over-ridden Standard Law. The very

82

simple reason is, doubtless, that color appeals far more quickly to the
average person, than does shape. Many a breeder of years standing,
cannot select the birds typical in shape and style. And the public,
which sees the shows and which buys stock, is more easily satisfied
with the better colored bird, when it becomes a choice between color

and shape, unless the shape is inexcusably bad.

83

The Newer Variety
THE WHITE INDIAN RUNNER

CHAPTERS Ocht

The future of the Indian Runners is bound to include the
\ariety just coming into sight here, viz., the White Indian Runners.
Though but recently advertised for the first in this country, the
White Indian Runners promise to interest the public at large so
greatly that a few words must be given them even now. In Cali-
fornia, in the middle-west, in the middle states, they are already
being advertised. One cannot say much that is definite about
their: quality, as it is likely, it seems to me, to be exceedingly
‘‘spotty’’ for some time.

My reasons for thinking thus le largely in the fact that the
very evident crossing of some of the original importations of Indian
Runners with white ducks has resulted in the badly-m‘xed speci-
mens, showing much broken white, of which buyers of Indian
Runners have complained so bitterly recently. There cannot he
much doubt that the majority of White Indian Runners have arisen
through some of these crosses. The most likely cross is that of the
White Fekin duck. I saw Pekins in a recent very large show, that

84

SS Ea VW) hte, @ WE EIN 7
Perhaps the most perfect type of Indian Runner Duck ever produced in Ameriac

were as upright in carr.age as almost any of the Runners, and one
specimen in especial that was fully as erect in carriage as any In-
dian Kunner I] have ever seen shown. As the Revision Committee’s
recommendation at St. Lou:s was for a body one-fourth longer than
the ideal presented them by the artist, and a clean-cut throat with-
out dewlap, the Pekin will be even better than in the past, as a
promising foundation for a cross leading to White Ind‘an Runners.
\ Runner built on such a foundation would be too broad and thick-
set, for many generations, no doubt; but human nature is such that
it would doubtless be used, in the future; as it has in the past, if
pointers from experience can be at all relied upon.

I wish to call especial attention to the cut of a White Indian
Kkunner female given herewith. It is by far the most typical speci-
men of the Ideal Indian Runner, that I have ever seen. This bird
is, moreover, a straight sport, as far as anything I really know can
show. I do know that no white blood has been introduced into
her ancestry since ‘t came into my hands, Some years ago. Other
breeding experience would make any of us argue that there must
le white blood somewhere behind her. As to proof,—there is none,
ond the testimony of her beautiful shape seems to throw the Pekin
cut of consideration, unless, by some trick of Mendel’s law, we
have a dom nant white from the Pekin, in connection with a domi-
nant shape from a Runner ancestor. But I think Mendel’s law, as
he would have had it applied, is being more questioned now than ever
before since Professor Bateson brought it to our notice. That is, the
many investigation experiments, in the effort to prove it a breeding
iaw, seem to show it less helpful generally in breeding than was at
lirst expected.

These White Indian Runners are not an absolutely new prod-
uct except in possible specific cases. Mr. H. DeCourcy, speaking
of the Runners as they appeared in Ireland some years ago, wrote, in
the “Reliable Poultry Journal’ that the Runners had been bred for

86

several years by farmers with no regard to type and feathering. Yet
he states that the distinctive features cf the bird were so fixed that
they still tended to dominate. I notice that he refers to the “car-
riage”’ as penguin-like, not making the blunder of the American 190s
Standard in saying that the Form is like the pengin, which tis posi-
tively absurd !

He speaks of three distinct varieties at the time of writing,
known in Ireland, and says that the penciled fawn and white—“a
beautifully-penciled fawn color,” as he describes it—“‘certainly has a
distinctive shape and carriage which the other varieties possess but
in a modified form, and it is most probable that both the Brown-and-
White and the White varieties have been bred from the original
Fawn-and-White, either by the admixture of foreign blood, or by
selection, or by both.”’

This testimony must be considered by any fair mind as abso-
lutely unbiased, because it was given before our Standard-makers
discovered that the plain fawn, with white, was “the one and only
true.”” It was published in this country before there was any question
of breeding to a solid fawn as far as our Standard was concerned;
though our Standard was fitted to some sports in the hands of a
single breeder, —if I am correctly informed,—soon after.

The white bird, everywhere and always, is a popular bird.
And, as soon as the public is assured that it breeds true in any
measure, we may look for a strong movement toward the White
Runner. Some pretty good specimens were shown in New York in

November, 1910.

87

ROSE COMB BROWN LEGHORN MALE

Incian Runner Drakes compare with Brown Leghorn Males in

vigor. Both make unequalled sweet young Roasters.

ROSE COMB BROWN LEGHORN FEMALE AND CARCASS

Indian Runner Ducks compare with Leghorn Hens for great

laying.

ao

One copy del. to Cat. Div.