My 10 runner babies were shipped today and should be here by Friday. I am pretty hyped. I got 5 black and 5 faun and white. Because of the snow I have not been able to get chick starter if I grind up some laying pellets will that be ok for a few days? Also any pics of your runner will be appreciated while i wait.
Oh, Runner Ducks!! We just loooooooove our Runners! I wish you lots of fun & success with yours. I got mine last summer from McMurray, and they're just beginning to lay. Someone is laying a beautiful pale green egg. I got one of each color, fawn & white, black, chocolate brown & blue. I don't know about the feed, the prevailing wisdom says that layer feed has too much calcium for little birds to digest. I don't know if it would be better than nothing. Maybe things will clear up by Friday, or you can find someone nearby with chick feed to lend.
You want pics.... http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h44/trudy_w/Alabama/Ducks/ start at the last page when they just arrived
ditto on the concern about calcium. I am trying to think of something you could add that would reduce the percentage of calcium and boost the protein a little bit. But you need to be cautious about what you feed them until you can get some chick grit into them. Hmmmm. I wonder if finely chopped oats (dry rolled, not instant) might help. Can you at least get regular grower/maintenance pellets from someone? A neighbor, perhaps? If the mails are working Friday, perhaps the feed store will be open.
The store will be open, but it is far, and it is very icy outside, It would be at worst two days, most likely just one day, so i figured one day of the ground pellets won't hurt so bad. I love the pics of the Black runner they are like skinny Cayuga ducks. I am also excited about getting yellow chicks, I haven't had those yet. Also one other concern is i ordered them from ideal, and they send chicks to "keep the duck warm" so I will have 10 chicks too. Last time i was able to give them away but this time with the weather it may be very difficult.
