Mating backyard Mallard Drake and Blue Trout Indian Runner Hen

[SewellFarmers]

Hi everyone, first post here and new to the forums. Finally decided to make an account after reading threads on here for months! We got chickens and ducks over Mother's Day weekend of 2017 and have been thoroughly enjoying ourselves with them every since. They're all so quirky and fun to watch grow and change! Unfortunately we are within city limits and can not have roosters, and thus had to get rid of two of our chickens once they starting crowing though. Now we think we have a boy mallard duck! We were told we were buying two female mallards, but one grew to look exactly like a female blue trout runner and the other looked like a female mallard until just this week. Now that one's head is turning green and the body is turning silver! So, we don't want to get rid of "him" just yet, we don't want only one duck. Will they mate successfully being different breeds? From what I've read, it seems that won't be an issue. How many ducklings should we expect out of a first time mommy? Does she have to be a certain age before she's capable of laying? If they do breed, will the babies come out looking like the male and female versions of both breeds, or will they be some mix of the two and therefor harder to tell female and males apart? Eeek!! Help us newbies!! Thank you, so happy to finally be a real member here!

 

[junebuggena]

Indian Runners aren't really a very broody-prone breed. If you want ducklings from them, an incubator would be a good idea. Runners typically start to lay at about 5 months of age.

 

[chickens really]

Yes, they can successfully breed...Not all Hens go Broody...Depends on the Hen..First time mothers do best with smaller hatches..5 to 6 Ducklings...

 

[SewellFarmers]

Thank you junebuggena and chickens really! Maybe we'll just keep the two and see what happens? I really don't want to incubate and raise more ducks in our house like we did with these two when they were babies, it was messy and I don't feel I had adequate space for them to feel good about doing it again. But I do want more! If she starts laying (she's 4 months old now, so I'm guessing it will be soon) and she's not sitting on the egg(s) at all, can I take them for food? Do I only take them if there's just one egg (food) versus several eggs (potentially babies if they did the ducky dance? hehe). I really appreciate your opinions!

 

[junebuggena]

A hen can only lay one egg a day. Collect daily. All eggs she lays will likely be fertile, but that doesn't mean they will be babies. Without incubation, no development will occur.

 

[chickens really]

Wait it out...Collect all eggs daily and if she does decide to brood? Destroy nest daily and she will just lay eggs..

 

[Miss Lydia]

I collect eggs daily and we eat them. My Runners and Buffs could care less my Muscovy's would love to sit but that is another story. lol

 

[SewellFarmers]

What do I do if I want them to turn into babies without incubating? Can I just leave them if she's sitting on them? If she gets off them at all though, they won't be able to grow right?

 

[junebuggena]

If she goes broody, you can give her a few eggs to sit on. But there is nothing you can do to make her go broody. Either she will or she won't. Leaving a bunch of eggs sitting around isn't going to do anything other than waste eggs.

 

[chickens really]

What do I do if I want them to turn into babies without incubating? Can I just leave them if she's sitting on them? If she gets off them at all though, they won't be able to grow right?

Yeah...If not se

If she goes broody, you can give her a few eggs to sit on. But there is nothing you can do to make her go broody. Either she will or she won't. Leaving a bunch of eggs sitting around isn't going to do anything other than waste eggs.

exactly what everyone else said...In so many words?