*~*Runner Duck Club*~*

[fowlman01]

Awesome runners @fowlman01 !

Mine are broader, heavier and don't stand so upright... like a lot of other folks' on this thread. The curve from forehead to bill is also not as rounded. Is the different appearance just because mine are probably not purebred? Or am I feeding them too much, ha!? Out of curiosity, where do you find purebred Indian Runners?

It's not the feed, it is how they are bred. To stand that upright they have to have their legs much further back than most I have seen posted here. They are called Runners for a reason and that is how they are judged at a show. they are judged on how they look as they move around a ring.

Holderread Waterfowl in OR is a great place to buy birds that look like mine. They sell ducklings in several colors and each color they have has long necks a slim bodies. Particularly the whites and blacks.

Walt

 

[Y-Knot]

Another place to get purebred Indian Runners is Metzer Farms. www.metzerfarms.com

A friend and I will be ordering some to arrive in mid-March. We thought about driving down to pick them up but it is a 4 hours drive.

We are going to order assorted. We won't know what colors they are until they arrive.

 

[TracyLovesDucks]

It's not the feed, it is how they are bred. To stand that upright they have to have their legs much further back than most I have seen posted here. They are called Runners for a reason and that is how they are judged at a show. they are judged on how they look as they move around a ring.

Holderread Waterfowl in OR is a great place to buy birds that look like mine. They sell ducklings in several colors and each color they have has long necks a slim bodies. Particularly the whites and blacks.

Walt

Interesting thanks for sharing. I read somewhere that even purebred runners vary in how upright they stand. So I don't think it's a question of the runners being purebred, but rather if they were bred over time more for show or for utility.

Another place to get purebred Indian Runners is Metzer Farms. www.metzerfarms.com

A friend and I will be ordering some to arrive in mid-March. We thought about driving down to pick them up but it is a 4 hours drive.

We are going to order assorted. We won't know what colors they are until they arrive.

Four of my 8 runners came from Metzer last spring. Compared to Fowlman01's runners, mine are not show quality. Still obviously indian runners and amazing little ducks that I absolutely love and adore, they just aren't as straight and narrow as Fowlman01's. I got two blues and two chocolates, all four are female. None of them stand as upright as the show runners. The blues turned out to be big girls, they've grown to be as large as my fawn and white drakes! One of my chocolates is noticeably lower to the ground than all the others. While the second chocolate girl is closest to show quality in that she is small, slender and stands pretty upright. Point is, you might consider Holderreads like FM suggested if you want true show quality runners. It might be a crapshoot with Metzer if you can't specifically request show quality. If that doesn't matter, my experience with Metzer was very good... and I love my ducks (it's in the name!).

 

[fowlman01]

Another place to get purebred Indian Runners is Metzer Farms. www. metzerfarms .com [COLOR=006621]A friend and I will be ordering some to arrive in mid-March. We thought about driving down to pick them up but it is a 4 hours drive. [/COLOR] [COLOR=006621]We are going to order assorted. We won't know what colors they are until they arrive. [/COLOR]

They are wonderful people at Metzer but they don't have Runners that meet the Standard for pure bred Runners. There is a very specific description for Runner ducks. They do have slightly different postures or station as it is called but they should be pretty vertical when walking and they should have a very long neck and slim body. If you just want a duck that sorta looks like a Runner there are several hatcheries that fit the bill. But they are not pure Runners. John Metzer is a friend and he will never claim his birds meet the pure bred description. Walt

 

[Y-Knot]

Thanks for the information Walt. I really appreciate knowing the scoop and what is so and what isn't. I'm also glad to hear that Mr. Metzer wouldn't say something that isn't true just to make a sale. I'm not going to show any of my ducks so they don't have to meet the absolute standard.
My ducks are just for pets so they don't have to be perfect. I'll love them anyway. I'm also glad to hear that Mr. Metzer is a friend of yours and you respect him. It makes me feel better about purchasing our ducks from him.

Thanks again.

Yvette

 

[fowlman01]

The Metzer birds are good healthy ducks that most people would be very happy with..
Walt

 

[Tevyes Dad]

I have one of each color runner Metzer sells. You can see them here...

The blue ones neck might be a little thicker, but they are all healthy birds with a great temperment. And they won't be mistaken for a non-runner. I am very happy with them.

 

[Tevyes Dad]

Those are absolutely adorable.   We're going to order a few from Metzer Farms and get "assorted runners."   I can choose the sex but the color is in the bag.  That is fine with me, I like all the colors.  Will probably name them "Spare" and "Strike."   Would like at least one female.
Are they as flighty and nervous as I hear?

Here's how nervous my Metzer runners are...

I have to reach down and try to pet them or i can't walk without stepping on a foot.

 

[birdman55]

I cant wait to get some runners

 

[Tevyes Dad]

All this info from @fowlman01 has shed some light on runners for me. I knew Metzer focused on production and not show quality. On their own site, they have a breed chart and the only breed close to show is the WH. So based on my runners, I interpreted nervous as the fact that they don't stop walking just because they aren't moving My wife and I refer to this as stompy-stompy-stomp.