NewJourney
Songster
I know this is a very old thread, but I wanted to state that my Fawn & White Runner that is 9 months old right now. She started setting on her first nest being truly broody at about 8 months old... She hatched out three chicken eggs (we then sold them) and she was very sad, then she finally hatched out her duck eggs that took MUCH LONGER than it should have to hatch them. Well, one hatched because I helped it out. The last two I didn't fully help out and she squished them and didn't let them hatch. I had ONE successful duckling hatch but she wasn't keen on letting it out to run around and build up leg strength. I took it a day later seeing that ht hadn't been allowed to walk around. I kept it for a day, then went out and enticed her with it by letting the baby peep peep peep for her.What I found with my runners (pure breeds) was that they didn't set the first year even though they were laying like crazy. But once they got a bit older, 2+ yrs, they both set a good size clutch each spring. One was a very good mom and the other was not. If I made any big changes in their lives they wouldn't set that year, but as long as they had no stresses or adjustments they would set one clutch a year in the spring. They seemed like nervous types, so I had to give them their space during the spring for them to be committed to setting.
You can always take their eggs and put them under a broody hen if your desperate for a new gen
Hope this helps,
She came running over and accepted it back happily. I then helped to lure the chick toward me and kept walking toward her nest, and thankfully the momma figured it out that she s hould take the baby to her nest. She did and she's finally being a great momma!
I actually went out this morning and bought 4 RunnerxPekin ducklings that just hatched a few days ago from someone in town. I came home and held one up toward her and it peeped a lot needing warmth and she heard it and ran right out and quacked up a storm calling it to her. It jumped out of my hand and ran to her. I then saw how she reacted. She was super happy to have more babies. I then gave her the other three one by one quickly in succession and she's doing great as a momma now. I'm so proud of my 9 month old YOUNG duck being such a great momma.
