Does anybody out there haveRunner Ducks for egg laying, any good?

[ohiobranchofchickenranch]

I'm in the process of starting a duck egg operation and I'm trying to compare different breeds to figure out the best fit for our small farm. Runners have an interesting look and I have been told that they can't fly and are pretty good egg layers. Hopefully I can get some first hand knowledge from someone to support all these claims. My kids already want to get the runners because they love the way they walk. So any advice will be well used. Thanks everyone

 

[tia]

I have 9 runners. I had seven females, and just got a drake and one more female. I was getting 3 or 4 eggs a day. They have slowed down since the drake joined them, but maybe they need to get used to having him around. I have been giving a lot of the eggs away, because I can't eat that many. I took some to school and made my students French toast one morning. They all liked it and even had seconds.

 

[spamee34]

I have 26 a hand full of them are males so plenty of females . I have only been getting eggs the last two days and so far only two are laying but they were bought the end of may and june so the choc one's are older than the blue one's so the two day's I have gotten eggs they have both been a pale green so I will have to update you soon as mine get going good .

 

[thedoors5to1]

mine are just starting to lay, i only have 3 females and 2 males, they all lay 1 egg a day each.. although one day i picked up a softie

had to get them some oyster shells for more calcium but back to normal now.. i have one fawn and white, one blue, one black, one chocolate, and a grey. the fawn and white recently layed a whopper... i emptied it of the insides with a pin hole and plan on doing something with it, dont know yet!

 

[WriterofWords]

My Runner ladies lay like clockwork!

 

[Duck_feeder]

our runners live indoors so they get plenty of light to stimulate egg laying. Except for when they take a day or two break, go broody, or molt the 4 adult ducks lay every day. I have about 70 eggs sitting on my kitchen counter right now...

 

[DaiquiriDuck]

How sensitive are runners to cold weather and how soon do they start laying?
I got mine back in August at about 4 months so i'd guess they are about 10 months old now.
They do all the courting dances with their drake but no eggs of yet.... the weather hasnt got above 7 degrees celcius here so I'm wondering if thats putting them off.
The chickens pretty much stopped laying in the winter but now the days are longer they have started up again and I was hoping for my first egg soon

 

[darwish]

Depending on the breed, ducks start laying at about 20-25 weeks of age.

I think most ducks will take a break from egg laying in the Winter. When and how long of a break depends on breed and management. Ducks do fine in the cold, it's the day length that affects their egg laying.

 

[Wifezilla]

I have a runner and I also have Welsh Harlequins. They all recently started laying. They laid a few eggs last November, but they all took off December and January. This is my second year with ducks and February-March seems to be the time they start to ramp up the laying again.

I am selling hatching eggs right now and someone is buying my Welsh Harlequin/Runner cross eggs. I hope he sends me photos after they hatch.

 

[spamee34]

I got my runners the end of june and the end on july and I kept them in a pen till they were eight weeks old and then put them out in the big pen with my other ducks of mixed breeds . They did ok till the rain started and I did loose a few at about 12 weeks of age but after I got them on the game bird food to add more protein to them and help them grow I didn't loose anymore . They seem to be very winter hardy. But they do need some good protein feed the game bird is the best for them . Mine are just now laying and only a few are laying now so I am sure in a week or so they will all be laying . They are neat ducks I love mine they are loud and their eggs are the size of a chicken egg not huge like the pekin duck eggs are. I have a hand full I am trying to get up enuf to incubate so I can try to sell them by easter . I have the choc and the blue and the black and one fawn and white male. I love my runners