Hi.
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▬ ▬ ▬ PROS of owning Indian Runner ducks :
• The hens lay a lot of eggs.
Indian Runners are indeed renowed to lay 200 eggs per year - approximatively.
And contrary to chicken hens, Runner duck hens do lay the same amount of eggs during their first three years of life - may even be more depending on the hens.
Also : if ever a Runner hen does start laying eggs during her first year, she will also lay the next winter - meaning you will be able to eat her eggs even during her first winter.
• They come in very various colours.
Indian Runners have so different colours you won't get tired of them...
You want to see them easier at night?
Do take White coloured Runner ducks home.
You want shiny ducks?
Do adopt Black or Chocolate Runners...
You want ducks that will be harder to see by predators?
Do choose Blue ducks...
Or would you prefer to see colours that will make you remember your childhood?
...Gray/Mallard Runner ducks will make you happy...
...You have the choice to get what you prefer to see.
• Some of the eggs are coloured.
Runner hens' eggs can of course be white... but they also can have other colours, or even have patterns.
For examples :
- Bibbed or not, Black coloured Runner hens do tend to lay blue, or green, or even grey eggs... that are sometimes completely black at the start of (laying) season.
- Light Dusky Indian Runner hens lay striped eggs.
• They love eating pests.
Indian Runner ducks prefer to eat insects, slugs, snails... (instead of grass.)
They will eat the big slugs even your chickens don't want to eat.
• They are light-weight.
They are so light they don't make any damage, even if they walk on flowers...
• They are sturdy.
Even though they are light-weight ducks, Runners are strong : they rarely get sick, don't shy away from the cold, and are very energic ducks that like to run and explore.
• They don't fly away.
Even the biggest ducks are actually able to fly, but - apart from rare exceptions - Indian Runner don't fly.
And if ever one of them do : he won't fly away - but he will try to get back instead -, because Runners are much too coward to explore an area far from their friends.
• They are fun to look at.
Indian Runner ducks have an uncommon, upright stance that makes them (kind of) look like penguins.
(Nevertheless : they are really graceful swimmers!)
• They are easy to direct to bed.
Indian Runners are always together - meaning we don't have to catch them one by one to put them to bed : guiding their group alone is easy enough.
• They are ideal for herding dogs.
Indian Runners are sometimes used to educate herding dogs and/or keep them (happy).
• They serve as an alarm.
Runner ducks can be very vocal, so if ever there is animals or persons (such as burglars) in your yard during the night - AND your Runners' house is close enough from your house -, you will be alerted as soon as they spot them.
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▬ ▬ ▬ CONS of owning Indian Runner ducks :
• They are not pet quality.
Indian Runners are naturally cowardly, so they generally don't like to be approached... and so, to be petted.
• They are not the best layers.
Even though Indian Runner hens do lay a lot of eggs, they are not the best layers among ducks : indeed, Khaki Campbell hens are actually the ones that lay the most of eggs among all domestic duck breeds.
• They are prone to minor injuries.
Because of their upright, vertical stance, Indian Runners can easily suffer from a twisted foot.
Nothing usually so severe that swimming won't fix, but Runners still need to be monitored because of that.
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▬ ▬ ▬ CONCLUSION :
Indian Runner ducks are scared of everything, so interacting with them will be complicated.
But : they still are pretty ducks that will make you happy just by watching them.
They also are low-maintenance, sturdy ducks that only need to be slightly monitored - just in case they injure themselves while walking or running.
...They are great ducks to get rid of slugs in your yard, and to clean a vegetable garden...
(They are better than pesticides!)
(And since they are ducks, you can - of course - use their poop to fertilize your garden!)
They also lay a lot of nutritious eggs, so you won't be starved once you hens has started laying.
And if ever you have a herding dog - or even a goose - that is bored, give him Indian Runners : he will be happy to herd them!
