I don’t think a drake is as necessary as a rooster. My guy looks out for predators but he can’t fight them off like my rooster. We did have a near miss with a bald eagle where my drake was either leading it away from his ladies OR running away and leaving them... we chose to give him the benefit...
I don’t have Indian runners, I have Cayugas. I also have chickens. My ducks are better foragers and have more personality. They have also been healthier then my chickens. Mine have a lot of room to roam so I have avoided the mud problems others report. Overall I like my ducks better but prefer...