Pen training runners/balis

[RareFeathers]

i got a bali drake and a runner duck from one of my breeder friends, and i'd like to show them, but they're VERY highly strung. i've got a cage i'm going to use, but i need to know how to train them. is it the same regime as chickens? or can somebody give me a table of what to do, and oh yeah, how long does it take? any and all help appreciated

-james

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Runners and (i think) balis are shown in a ring so the judge can get a look at their gait and if they stand up straight like they should since these are the most important traits of the runners. I couldn't say for sure if all the runners/balis are taken to the ring or only those that the judge is considering for a prize. The second makes more sense to me. by the way you want them to be excited in the ring as they are more likely to show well if they are. The shows provide cages for the show and insist that they be used to level the playing field so to speak. So a runner needs to be cage trained and ring trained. Your post sort of implies that you know how to cage train a chicken, basically you get them used to living in a cage and expose the bird to as many people as possible so he gets used to the ideal of people passing by and talking to it etc. No bird makes a good impression if he hides at the back of the cage half scated put of its wits by strangers passing buy or stopping to look, since runners are a bit skittish to start with give them as much cage time as possible. As for ring training you want him to be aware of the ring and aware they he won't be harmed but not really relaxed either. He needs to be alert and standing with his head high standing on his toes when he moves about it should be briskly but not panicked.
One question why didn't you ask your breeder friend these questions if he had shown runners he should be able to provide lots of advise?

 

[RareFeathers]

thanks goosedragon, very informative!

i didn't ask 'causehe got them from sydney from another one of his many, many contacts, and he eventually didn't want them anymore, due to how highly strung they were, so after the first clutch of ducklings, he passed 'em on to me, and he was far from being an expert.

 

[duckyfromoz]

Quote:
Hi James.. Nice to see someone from Tamworth here in the duck forum. Thats where I grew up. I was out at Tintinhull until I was about 14 and them out at Moonbi for a few more years. Did you by any chance go to Oxley High School??

I am down in Melbourne now days- and got some ducks sent over from South Australia last year. They had not ever been handled and were very different from all the hand raised Runners I had already. I started pen training about a month after I got them as I wanted to let them settle in with the flock and be very comfortable in their new home. I have 2 training pens set up, and started with 6 ducks. 2 of them made it clear they did not have have what it takes to be a show duck. They just freaked out when ever they went in. For the remaining four- they would get one hour each day to begin with. increasing to three days once they were more comfortable in the pen. Ive not seen a judge here in Australia put them in a ring yet- but I guess there may be some who would still like to do that.

To start off with you need to get them used to being in the cage. After they are more settled- you can start concentrating on their presentation while they are in the cage. How high is the cage you have for them? Runners need extra hight so they can stand properly - and some people even leave the tops of a training pen for runners as it will encourage them to stand up very tall. Also - have you looked at the standards to make sure they are accepted colours and dont have any major faults?

 

[goosedragon]

Sorry Rare Feathers, I did't look at your post to see you are in NSW. All I know about Australian shows is what I was told by a breeder of Blue Sweedish in Victoria. There was a time that the USA didn't judge runners in a ring as it was considered to be a P I T A for the judges and and the shows, but it was in our Standard and pressure was applied to go back to the old way including the APA threat not to sponsor shows that failed to do it. Now the running of the runners is fairly popular because of the fun of watching people trying to catch their birds once turned into the ring. I have to be more careful reading locations of posters!