Indian Runners

[faykokoWV]

Here's some picks of my runners, they are mixed colors. The chocolate runner is my favorite

 

[gofasterstripe]

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Sir, do you sell babies at all...just incase I really need more further down the way here

No...sorry! I sell grown birds at the farm or at shows. It is too hard to ship anything live from where I live. If I were to ever buy some I would contact Dave Holderread in OR. That is the place to buy waterfowl and he does ship day old's except for bantam ducks.

Walt

My order to Holderreads went out this morning for 10 whites and 4 emery penciled. I have had my wish list wrote out for 3 weeks and was ordering 7 of each...I changed it beacuse knowing my luck out of 7 whites I would end up with 6 drakes...thats my luck!!.
I love white ducks and white runners just look more longer and slender than the other colors. I would like to have a bash at showing, just for the sake of it, heck, we all have to start somewhere but I wouldnt know how to find local shows!! so we will have to wait and see.

 

[magoochie]

Ok this might be a horrible question, but are the runners strictly for pets? Or are they for eggs? eating?

A guy up the road from us sells them, but he just has them as pets. He has tons of chickens, turkeys, peacocks, geese, ducks etc. He also breeds them and sells the babies.

I wanted to get one last year, but i know ducks are social and need multiple friends. We got 4 swedes from him with the intent to butcher, and ended up butchering 2, and a predator of some sort got the other 2.

My husband and I want to get more ducks this year, we just loved having them around. He doesnt like the looks of the muscovies, but I would like larger birds, that cant fly much. But the runners look so cool.

We also live in NW Wisconsin, so the winters can be hard. I'd be nervous about them in the cold or their feet on the snow. I've heard the feet can freeze.

This is our first year with birds, and we are keeping 12 chickens through the winter. So far so good. Other than 2 single combed roosters have gotten frostbite ont he combs.

please advise

 

[gofasterstripe]

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LOL...not much meat on a runner...the are all of 4LB soaking wet. They are more for eggs, pets and to sit and laugh at...they are clowns.

 

[magoochie]

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LOL...not much meat on a runner...the are all of 4LB soaking wet. They are more for eggs, pets and to sit and laugh at...they are clowns.

Thats kinda what I figured. They look scrawny! lol

How are they in snow and cold? do they get frostbite on the feet? or have trouble staying warm at all?

 

[gofasterstripe]

Quote:
LOL...not much meat on a runner...the are all of 4LB soaking wet. They are more for eggs, pets and to sit and laugh at...they are clowns.

Thats kinda what I figured. They look scrawny! lol

How are they in snow and cold? do they get frostbite on the feet? or have trouble staying warm at all?

I have no idea!!! We live in SC where we MIGHT have 2 days of snow a year, mine were ok in the little bit of snow we had..

 

[Amiga]

Many people tell me their runners are very cold hardy. What I have found is that if I keep them above 45F or so at night, they are fine at 25F and sunny or warmer. They did not like their first encounter with snow earlier this week, but today they were running around in it and eating it and having a brilliant time.

I put a bunch of straw and hay down so they can get their feet off the snow frequently.

When they were outdoors and nights were in the mid to upper twenties and thirties, egg production for the ten runners dropped to three a day, and they seemed okay but not as chipper.

Days after I moved them into warmer quarters, we were getting four, then five, then six, and now eight eggs a day, they are more energetic and just seem much happier.

 

[magoochie]

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It is not uncommon for us to be 15-20 degrees below zero! So thats what I'm really worried about. Not sure if many people who have ducks, have that type of weather. Anyone know?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Mine are Muscovies and believe me they don't like the snow ice and cold weather. And they are much heavier than runners, well the drakes are anyway. If you get a chance though you have to see Amiga's runners they are so comical, made me want some,

 

[fowlman01]

Quote:
It is not uncommon for us to be 15-20 degrees below zero! So thats what I'm really worried about. Not sure if many people who have ducks, have that type of weather. Anyone know?

There are a lot of runners in the Lakes states and north east. I'm in CA, so I don't know how the people that have them deal with the cold, but they do somehow.

Walt