Indian Runner Duck _ She is trying to push something

[Miss Lydia]

If you want to keep them in a certain area and they are flying over it’s either wing clipping or make the fencing higher. Hormones get the best of them. All of us are experiencing it to some degree. Many resort to drake jail if the females are getting abused. Sounds like your drake has gone over board with his protection of his space. My Runner is pretty much the same he is very protective of his girls he doesn’t attack me but he does make the chickens get away by walking towards them with his head down. They know what he means. Honestly if you’re going to introduce chickens I’d do it early fall. By then hormones are slowing and he would be more inclined to accept them. You’ll still have to let them all get to know each other through fencing we can’t just place new birds in with resident flock and expect everything to go well. Most put new birds in a pen next to the residents and let them get to know each other. If you intend to keep the chickens and ducks in a coop together start off with the chickens inside a dog crate or something similar so they can be in the coop but protected.. you’ll also have to watch your drake that he doesn’t get any ideas about mating because mating a chicken is pretty much a death sentence for the hen. It can sound complicated but I have chicken ducks and a goose and they all live pretty peacefully together. Putting hormones aside. If they have a coop make it where there are some privacy spots. I have a few cubby like places where my Runners will lay even a piece of ply wood laid up against the wall and attached like half a tee pee with fluffy bedding may entice them to lay inside.

 

[rakeshkarthik]

Hey @Miss Lydia , As per your suggestion, I increased the height of the wire fence (they are not trying to fly out since Thursday), and I gave them a few wooden boxes and they really loved it as well.
On another note, my white duck laid her very first egg today! ......I used to believe she was an Indian Runner like the others, as she always tries to imitate the lengthy neck position, even though, she has distinct features such as fluffy feathers and better flying skills lol. Today, my suspicions were confirmed by the color of the egg. I'm curious to know the breed of her. Could it be a White Kakhi Campbell or something similar? need to mention that she is also mating with our Runner boy. haha

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thats great the fencing height has kept them in.

Congrats on the first egg that is always so exciting.

Your white duck is beautiful she could be a white layer depending on her size they aren't as large as Pekin and they have a pinkish bill compared to orange on a Pekin.
Hard to tell how large she is with no one to compare her to but she may be a white KC. I don't hear of them too often in white. Do you know how much your female weighs? KC are 4-4.5 lbs according to online search.

They don't care who they mate with and I am sure your Runner drake doesn't mind. lol

 

[rakeshkarthik]

Hi @Miss Lydia, here is the size comparison, she is a bit smaller than the runner girl (middle) Runners are 5 months old.
The mystery white weighed around 3.63 lbs & 4 months old. & this morning somehow she jumped out of the fence and the runners couldn't do it lol, maybe I should consider clipping the wings.

Additionally, I have recently observed a difference in the flock's appetite. The male Runner duck doesn't seem to eat as much as before (just a few gulps and chase me), while the rest of them are demanding more duck feed and showing less interest in some of their favorite fruit and vegetable treats (papaya, guava, lettuce, etc used to their fav...). Is it common during this stage or am I doing any mistakes in their dietary needs? & I am unaware of the nutrition facts of this duck feed that I bought for them.

 

[Miss Lydia]

She may be a white layer she is small. If she is getting out of your fencing and by herself it might be worth it to clip one wing [that will keep her off balance ] I do this with my Muscovy be sure to look up how to clip so you don't make her bleed.
Your Runner is gorgeous too.


I haven't fed my flock much fruit mainly greens but it's no unusual for them to change what they like. Make sure to keep their feed down for them during the day and use the fruit lettuce etc as treats only. My Runner drake doesn't eat much either he stands and watches his girls eat and then he'll grab a few mouths full before running off with them.
As long as they are healthy and eating even if not much I don't worry. Are they in an area where there is good forage? That will cut them back on eating too since they are probably getting bugs etc.

 

[rakeshkarthik]

HI @Miss Lydia , Hope you're well. I'm following up on the same thread. I noticed my white duck sitting oddly, with the vent raised and appearing to strain. The vent looks wide open and dark. I initially thought it might be egg binding (got one egg in the morning as usual), so I placed her in warm water for 10 minutes and checked for any eggs, but found nothing. She didn't eat in the evening and seems to be moving slower. Could this be due to something else? Just to be safe, I isolated the drake in a separate cage to prevent any potential harassment.

 

[Miss Lydia]

They can have an egg up higher which we couldn't feel. I'd give her some liquid Calcium Gluconate. Many feed stores sell it TSC usually. It is the best for getting an egg moving.
Give her 1 ml by mouth if she isn't eating I'll give you the info on how to give liquids you have to be very careful it doesn't go down the wrong way.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...bound-ducks-preliminary.959537/#post-14940303

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

I'd start with egg binding if there aren't any other symptoms. If you can get her to eat a small amount of feed or treat you can get the cla glu into her that way but you want to make sure she gets the full dose.

 

[rakeshkarthik]

Thanks for your support @Miss Lydia
Quick update: I couldn't find Calcium Gluconate for poultry in the town where I am living (in Indonesia); I only found the concentrated version and decided not to feed it, will buy the poultry version online in case of emergency for future purposes. However, the duck seems to be doing better yesterday. She was eating, and I gave her warm water to soak in. After a few hours, she laid a soft-shell egg in the water pond. Still, no eggs today as well. I hope she is fine; even the runner girl has been on a break with no eggs for the last 4 days.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Great to hear she laid even if a soft shell. They seem to struggle with them and mine have always been off before and after for a while. Taking breaks is very good for them gives their little bodies time to restore their calcium levels for strong shells.
Please let me know how they are doing.

 

[rakeshkarthik]

Hi @Miss Lydia , I have a similar problem, but kinda severe this time. I am confused that she took a couple of days rest for egg laying, but noticed she already laid her egg this morning or last night, having her vent looks like this, struggling to walk or pushing extremely hard with her muscles outside. I put her in the hot water for a while. should I proceed to give Calcium Gluconate, as I'm unsure if it's egg-bound or some other issue?