Duck Breed Focus - Indian Runner

[N F C]

Of all colors got about 8.5 years at least. I'm a senior in high school so won't be long until I finish high school. Then going to college and then vet school and then done with school. The ducks I have now here's some pictures of them.

Nice looking ducks Birdrain92, thanks for sharing the photos!

 

[AimToMisbehave]

[Video]

Still more henpecking than I'm really comfortable with, but the groups don't seem to be avoiding each other anymore. Ezri and Impa seem to get more of The Business, possibly because they stand out more? Maybe at a glance, baby Zoe looks enough like Wednesday that the bigguns don't always notice she's a new kid. Or maybe it's that Ezri is always zipping around like a crazypants.

I don't know if Banshee loves the babies or just wants to boss them around, but she is ALWAYS right with them, even when they split off from the flock. I'm pretty sure I even saw her fend off one of her own sisters from getting bossy with Impa...

 

[Tevyes Dad]

The pecks aren't so bad and even a little chasing is OK ducks are very serious about pecking order and flock identity. So far it sounds to me like you ducks have been accepted (conditionally) into the flock, and are being told they can join but they belong at the bottom of the pecking order. If they are facing off chest to chest, it means the little ones still have to learn their place (they should be backing down at this point - they can rise slowly in the pecking order later.) If they are being chased down and having feathers pulled out of their backs or getting their wings grabbed and pulled, that is scary behaviour.

 

[Miss Lydia]

The pecks aren't so bad and even a little chasing is OK ducks are very serious about pecking order and flock identity. So far it sounds to me like you ducks have been accepted (conditionally) into the flock, and are being told they can join but they belong at the bottom of the pecking order. If they are facing off chest to chest, it means the little ones still have to learn their place (they should be backing down at this point - they can rise slowly in the pecking order later.) If they are being chased down and having feathers pulled out of their backs or getting their wings grabbed and pulled, that is scary behaviour.

I agree sounds like they are just being told where their place is. But your right to keep a close eye. Things can change quickly for the worse as Tony said. I sure enjoy watching them though.

 

[AimToMisbehave]

The pecks aren't so bad and even a little chasing is OK ducks are very serious about pecking order and flock identity.  So far it sounds to me like you ducks have been accepted (conditionally) into the flock, and are being told they can join but they belong at the bottom of the pecking order. If they are facing off chest to chest, it means the little ones still have to learn their place (they should be backing down at this point - they can rise slowly in the pecking order later.)  If they are being chased down and having feathers pulled out of their backs or getting their wings grabbed and pulled, that is scary behaviour.

Oh good! That's super encouraging! Does that mean that I should move them out permanently now, or keep doing the meet n greets? Or split the difference and move them out to their little pen-within-the-pen? We had a rough cold snap, but now we're just in the usual Western Washington rainy holding pattern.

The babies definitely are NOT facing off against the bigguns They back down so hard so fast they end up zipping off to the opposite end of the pen, then zipping back to the far side of the flock (which is a little silly overreacting because the big ones have never pulled feathers or chased persistently or really done anything that I could see that might hurt the babies)

 

[Tevyes Dad]

Oh good! That's super encouraging! Does that mean that I should move them out permanently now, or keep doing the meet n greets? Or split the difference and move them out to their little pen-within-the-pen? We had a rough cold snap, but now we're just in the usual Western Washington rainy holding pattern.


The babies definitely are NOT facing off against the bigguns

They back down so hard so fast they end up zipping off to the opposite end of the pen, then zipping back to the far side of the flock (which is a little silly overreacting because the big ones have never pulled feathers or chased persistently or really done anything that I could see that might hurt the babies)

Where do they go at night? Bigguns and 'lings?

 

[AimToMisbehave]

Where do they go at night? Bigguns and 'lings?

Right now, the bigguns get shut into their pen at night (we tried to shut them into their house inside of the pen, but they were having NONE OF IT, not even for treats! And now they're all salty with me because of the effort) and the 'lings are still in their brooding enclosure in the garage.

 

[AimToMisbehave]

Yikes! Apparently having the 'lings around has put babies on Azula's brain, because he and Wednesday are... ahem... having a go at it. I didn't think they were old enough for that!

 

[Tevyes Dad]

Right now, the bigguns get shut into their pen at night (we tried to shut them into their house inside of the pen, but they were having NONE OF IT, not even for treats! And now they're all salty with me because of the effort) and the 'lings are still in their brooding enclosure in the garage.

Let someone with Fall duckling experience chime in. I can't tell from the videos just how feathered they are and I would be concerned about the temps if they aren't in a walled shelter. (And if just the 'lings go in the house, it isn't any more social than them staying in their brooding enclosure.) When my 'lings joined their bigguns, going in the house was not an option (we had a raccoon attack in the yard and are just now getting around to working on a super secure pen.) All ducks went in the house so they were sheltered from the wind, insulated with bedding and the temps were about 5 degrees warmer than what you have now across the board. I was very comfortable with that, but I don't know exactly about your situation. I am sure someone here has done Fall ducklings...

 

[AimToMisbehave]

Let someone with Fall duckling experience chime in.  I can't tell from the videos just how feathered they are and I would be concerned about the temps if they aren't in a walled shelter.  (And if just the 'lings go in the house, it isn't any more social than them staying in their brooding enclosure.)  When my 'lings joined their bigguns, going in the house was not an option (we had a raccoon attack in the yard and are just now getting around to working on a super secure pen.)  All ducks went in the house so they were sheltered from the wind, insulated with bedding and the temps were about 5 degrees warmer than what you have now across the board.  I was very comfortable with that, but I don't know exactly about your situation.  I am sure someone here has done Fall ducklings...

Yeah, the Fall ducklings have definitely introduced some complications to the whole situation... They've got their teenager feathers everywhere but the little scraggly bits on the back of their heads/necks, and maybe a bit under the wings. The pen is sort of an odd compromise of not much sun, but also not much wind, shielded by the house to the north, the workshop and a steep hill to the west, and mature evergreen trees to the south. It's secure against all but field mice and small birds (and hopefully this spring when weather and finances are a bit kinder, we'll be able to keep those out as well and get a proper house in there).
For the weather alone, I'd rather keep putting them in the brooder at night, but they're starting to get so upset at being apart from the flock! And Banshee gives me a devil of a time when I'm trying to separate them, I feel so bad having to do it... Gah! Fall babies are so troublesome!!!