*~*Runner Duck Club*~*

[GardinerFarms]

Hi, we are new to this site and, if we get any, new to having "livestock". We have a small vegetable farm near Houlton, Maine. We hear that Indian Runners are great at picking off Colorado Potato Beetles and other less than helpful insects so we're considering getting a small flock (6 or so) to put into the potatoes in the summer. We have water available-have to get a small pool or stocktank for them. Here are some questions:

1) What do they require for the winter? Are they pretty cold hardy? We get down as low as -25 here in the winter.
2) What do they need for feed? How about when they are ranging?
3) Are the eggs good to eat?
4) How large a coop would they need, or sq ft/bird?
5) Any sources of these ducks in Maine?

Thanks alot! As you can see, I don't much about ducks!

 

[CedarFarms]

Hi, we are new to this site and, if we get any, new to having "livestock". We have a small vegetable farm near Houlton, Maine. We hear that Indian Runners are great at picking off Colorado Potato Beetles and other less than helpful insects so we're considering getting a small flock (6 or so) to put into the potatoes in the summer. We have water available-have to get a small pool or stocktank for them. Here are some questions:

1) What do they require for the winter? Are they pretty cold hardy? We get down as low as -25 here in the winter.

We were -45 this winter my ducks live outside with a coop and all survived it i bed with straw and keep it extra thick though often times i caught the suckers hanging outside in the snow!

2) What do they need for feed? How about when they are ranging?

I feed mine layer pellets. Honestly. I tried to free range mine. I'm sure others had great success but my ducks are dumber than a box of rocks. I feed them daily and do all their care and they STILL run from me.

3) Are the eggs good to eat?
Yes! I love them and they are GREAT for baking. Though some of my family members disagree

4) How large a coop would they need, or sq ft/bird?
More than chickens. I have 25 ducks in a small 6x6 coop but they spend most of their time outside.

5) Any sources of these ducks in Maine?
you can order them online

Thanks alot! As you can see, I don't much about ducks!

 

[CedarFarms]

Some of their eggs this am

 

[Amiga]

Hi, we are new to this site and, if we get any, new to having "livestock". We have a small vegetable farm near Houlton, Maine. We hear that Indian Runners are great at picking off Colorado Potato Beetles and other less than helpful insects so we're considering getting a small flock (6 or so) to put into the potatoes in the summer. We have water available-have to get a small pool or stocktank for them. Here are some questions:

1) What do they require for the winter? Are they pretty cold hardy? We get down as low as -25 here in the winter.
2) What do they need for feed? How about when they are ranging?
3) Are the eggs good to eat?
4) How large a coop would they need, or sq ft/bird?
5) Any sources of these ducks in Maine?

Thanks alot! As you can see, I don't much about ducks!

Welcome to the Duck Forum!

I have a flock of nine runners. Three or four of them are not cold hardy below about 38˚F. I consider cold hardy thriving, not just surviving. Rather than allow my less hardy ones to die, we moved everybody into a shelter that stays above 40 in the winter.

I feed organic layer pretty much all year. They lay now - at four years old - for seven months of the year, and I mean just about every day. So during their time off, there are a few still laying and I want them all to build up their calcium stores. A few of my prolific layers get soft shelled eggs sometimes, so I supplement with 23% calcium gluconate solution.

Predators abound here, day and night. So they have a secure Day Pen and Night Pen and I take them for foraging walks. They eat worms, grubs, Japanese beetles, squash bugs, and won't eat anything red. This is not common among runners, just a quirk mine have and I don't know why.

The eggs are great any way I have prepared them.

If you are going to need to keep them cooped up when it's -25, or during a hurricane or other extreme event, the more square footage you can offer the better. I have between 90 and 100 sf for nine runners and four buffs, nighttime, and about 200 sf for them daytime.

Don't know where you would find them in Maine, but someone may have some available. A great time to look for ducks is after Easter - so many get dumped, or put on Craigslist, you may do well that way.

 

[GardinerFarms]

Thanks...I'm feeling a lot more duck "smaht" already!

 

[GardinerFarms]

Nice looking eggs-funny how they are different colors! Are they productive layers in the winter? I know that my daughter's chickens shut down alot in the winter months.

 

[ke5hde]

Some of their eggs this am

Nice. All of our girls lay a blue tinted egg. It makes it impossible to tell who's laying which egg.

 

[ke5hde]

Hi, we are new to this site and, if we get any, new to having "livestock".  We have a small vegetable farm near Houlton, Maine.  We hear that Indian Runners are great at picking off Colorado Potato Beetles and other less than helpful insects so we're considering getting a small flock (6 or so) to put into the potatoes in the summer.  We have water available-have to get a small pool or stocktank for them. Here are some questions:

1)  What do they require for the winter?  Are they pretty cold hardy?  We get down as low as -25 here in the winter.
2)  What do they need for feed?  How about when they are ranging?
3)  Are the eggs good to eat?
4)  How large a coop would they need, or sq ft/bird?
5)  Any sources of these ducks in Maine?

Thanks alot!  As you can see, I don't much about ducks!

I think Amiga answered everything right on.
I will add that even on the days we were at 10-20 below zero, ours were still out on the pond.
Our older ducks eat Purina Layena pellets and the youngsters get Purina Flock Raiser.
Their eggs are great to eat, I have friends with egg allergies that are able to eat duck eggs but not chicken eggs.
Good luck with your search. If you can't find ducklings, you could always hatch your own.

 

[CedarFarms]

Nice. All of our girls lay a blue tinted egg. It makes it impossible to tell who's laying which egg.

Neat! I've lined them up and honestly it seems that I get every shade of peach to blue/green

 

[ke5hde]

Neat! I've lined them up and honestly it seems that I get every shade of peach to blue/green  

These are ours. I get 2-4 eggs a day from 4 girls. 2 are related and 2 aren't. This batch will be in the incubator tomorrow night.