I agree, the person I got my Indian Runners from as ducklings told me his whole flock of them could fly and fly well. That is what led me to pinion them as soon as I brought them home. That way I don't have to clip them or worry about them flying over the fenced in yard where I let them graze supervised and have the neighbors Pitt bulls eat them. Good luck with your decision.
Questions about different duck breeds
- Thread starter Papaye
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #22
Hi!
That's funny you say that just after one of my Runner drake flew over the separation to go mate with his girls... (again)
This one have learned well...! And he flies high!
If only one Indian Runner flies, there is no risk of him fleeing, since he will be much too afraid to be separated from his friends to not return home eventually...
...But if all the group do know how to fly? Not sure they will get back...!
Preventing them to fly is a kindness, since at least, they won't risk to end up lost, and they also won't be eaten by some neighbours' dogs... indeed!
(I was so shocked when I first saw my drake outside of my yard, after he was blown away by the wind... Poor boy was panicked...!!)
Thank you!!
...Thank you also for telling about your Runners!!
You are most welcome as so many people think they cannot fly and wondered why I had to pinion mine as ducklings. I hope yours stay put. I have sold my Mallard ducklings before and when they were about 5 weeks old and some of the people that bought them had them fly off. I bought my two I got from Metzer's that laid eggs and they were supposed to pinion them but they forgot to do it. I did not know how to at the time and didn't realize until one of mine flew out of the grazing area that they were not done. I had to clip them for a couple of years and now they stay put with the rest of the flock. My Call Ducks I got recently from Metzer's were clipped by my request and I was glad that they did it so that I would not lose them. Good luck with your ducks.
- Thread starter
- #24
Hello!
So... from the 9 eggs I bought, 2 have hatched on MAY 19th.
Thus : I have now a Cayuga duckling, and a Khaki Campbell duckling...
I am kind of disapointed, because for my first time being shipped eggs, I was hoping to get more ducklings...
But at least, I could have two ducklings - and not zero!
(And these perfect little babies are my very first ducklings that are not Indian Runners...!)
...What do I do with the remaining eggs, now?
I am actually still hoping for one or two eggs to hatch, since some are kind of dark...
...And my hen has already started to feed her babies; but given they are confined in a coop for the time being, she does not have any other choice than to still sit on the eggs, since she does not have a lot of space to walk for now...
But can I still have hope...? Or do I remove the eggs now?
...Could I get them inside of my house to canddle them, or is a bad idea so late - if ever they are ready to hatch...?
Also : when do Cayuga and Khaki Campbell are considered mature?
(Is it the same that Indian Runner ducks?)
Because if my ducklings are girls, I then want to wait for them to be sexually ready to let them freerange with my drakes...
...I recently have bought 14 duck eggs from the same person who sold me the 9 previous eggs :
- 4 Cayugas,
- 4 Grey/Mallard Indian Runners,
- 3 Black Indian Runners,
- 3 White Indian Runners.
I received and put them underneath another broody hen (a Medicis) just yesterday.
...I hope I will be more lucky...?
So... from the 9 eggs I bought, 2 have hatched on MAY 19th.
Thus : I have now a Cayuga duckling, and a Khaki Campbell duckling...
I am kind of disapointed, because for my first time being shipped eggs, I was hoping to get more ducklings...
But at least, I could have two ducklings - and not zero!
(And these perfect little babies are my very first ducklings that are not Indian Runners...!)
...What do I do with the remaining eggs, now?
I am actually still hoping for one or two eggs to hatch, since some are kind of dark...
...And my hen has already started to feed her babies; but given they are confined in a coop for the time being, she does not have any other choice than to still sit on the eggs, since she does not have a lot of space to walk for now...
But can I still have hope...? Or do I remove the eggs now?
...Could I get them inside of my house to canddle them, or is a bad idea so late - if ever they are ready to hatch...?
Also : when do Cayuga and Khaki Campbell are considered mature?
(Is it the same that Indian Runner ducks?)
Because if my ducklings are girls, I then want to wait for them to be sexually ready to let them freerange with my drakes...
...I recently have bought 14 duck eggs from the same person who sold me the 9 previous eggs :
- 4 Cayugas,
- 4 Grey/Mallard Indian Runners,
- 3 Black Indian Runners,
- 3 White Indian Runners.
I received and put them underneath another broody hen (a Medicis) just yesterday.
...I hope I will be more lucky...?
I never put my ducklings with the rest of the flock until they are at least 6 weeks old and if I have females I keep them separated until 6 months old so my drakes will not mate them early and hurt them. Are your Indian Runners Drakes? I figured you must have some for asking this question. Good luck with those babies, I bet they are darling. I just bought a Chocolate Runner that I did not realize was a Runner to go with my flock and it is the calmest Runner I have ever had. The rest of mine are Fawn and White and a Mallard one that seems to only be half Runner as it stood erect as a duckling but now not so much. The rest of my birds are Calls, Muscovy, Khaki Campbell, Mule duck, Mallard and Rouen.
- Thread starter
- #26
So...
I have finally candled the remaining eggs...
There actually were 6 eggs remaining, since 1 has gone missing.
(I always seem to lose 1 egg after I put them underneath a broody hen!)
From these 6 remaining eggs, 1 has a duckling inside that had stopped developping at one point.
So, I have got rid of it...
But from the 5 remaining eggs : 5 ducklings are clearly ENTIRELY developped... though they (still) don't have even internally pipped!
I tried tapping the eggs, but I can't hear the ducklings peeping...
I know - hope - they just could be sleeping, so I'm still hoping they could hatch.
Today is D-29.
If somebody knows if I have to help the ducklings to hatch... or if they are actually dead?
I'm lost here.
2 ducklings are born two days ago, but what do I know...?
My hen could still be keeping the eggs sufficiently warm and humid to make them hatch eventually...?
Any advice would be really appreciated!
Yes.
My drakes are Indian Runners, so I do as is recommended and wait for my younger female duck to be at least 4-months-old to let them freerange with the drakes.
(And still, NOT during mating season : I would wait for the ducks to be 5-months-old to put them together with the drakes then - if ever it would be needed...)
I don't have any problem with letting the ducklings freerange with the adult females, since each flock first prefer to stay together (between friends) instead of trying to merge in one big flock...
...Besides, the ducklings are always at least 2-weeks-old when I let them freerange, and 3-weeks-old when I let the adult females meet them... (So, they are big enough to not be hurt or killed by older ducks!)
God they are...!!
Thank you.
Sounds like a great flock...!
(Do not hesitate to share pictures...!!)
I have finally candled the remaining eggs...
There actually were 6 eggs remaining, since 1 has gone missing.
(I always seem to lose 1 egg after I put them underneath a broody hen!)
From these 6 remaining eggs, 1 has a duckling inside that had stopped developping at one point.
So, I have got rid of it...
But from the 5 remaining eggs : 5 ducklings are clearly ENTIRELY developped... though they (still) don't have even internally pipped!
I tried tapping the eggs, but I can't hear the ducklings peeping...
I know - hope - they just could be sleeping, so I'm still hoping they could hatch.
Today is D-29.
If somebody knows if I have to help the ducklings to hatch... or if they are actually dead?
I'm lost here.
2 ducklings are born two days ago, but what do I know...?
My hen could still be keeping the eggs sufficiently warm and humid to make them hatch eventually...?
Any advice would be really appreciated!
Yes.
My drakes are Indian Runners, so I do as is recommended and wait for my younger female duck to be at least 4-months-old to let them freerange with the drakes.
(And still, NOT during mating season : I would wait for the ducks to be 5-months-old to put them together with the drakes then - if ever it would be needed...)
I don't have any problem with letting the ducklings freerange with the adult females, since each flock first prefer to stay together (between friends) instead of trying to merge in one big flock...
...Besides, the ducklings are always at least 2-weeks-old when I let them freerange, and 3-weeks-old when I let the adult females meet them... (So, they are big enough to not be hurt or killed by older ducks!)
God they are...!!
Thank you.
Sounds like a great flock...!
(Do not hesitate to share pictures...!!)
I have had them on here before but Miss Lydia who is a great friend posts them for me as I don't have the technology to be able to do it.
- Thread starter
- #28
Hi.
I moved my Cayuga and my Khaki Campbell ducklings (and their mama-hen) in a run, and I then finally took some pictures...
Thus... my 5-days-old Cayuga duckling :
He has yellow on the chest, but I'm not worried he is not purebred, since I heard it was normal for Cayuga duckling...
...And my 5-days-old Khaki Campbell duckling :
This one has a well-defined yellow spot on the throat... so, he eventually is going to have white feathers there.
They are my first ducklings that are not Indian Runners, so I'm particularly excited to have them and to be able to see their growth with my own eyes...!
For the time being, they are exploring their run : they have been inside of a coop since they were born, so today is the first time they can be outside.
Thus, they are obviously very curious to discover things...
...They are really cute, and... they just are perfect.
I moved my Cayuga and my Khaki Campbell ducklings (and their mama-hen) in a run, and I then finally took some pictures...
Thus... my 5-days-old Cayuga duckling :
He has yellow on the chest, but I'm not worried he is not purebred, since I heard it was normal for Cayuga duckling...
...And my 5-days-old Khaki Campbell duckling :
This one has a well-defined yellow spot on the throat... so, he eventually is going to have white feathers there.
They are my first ducklings that are not Indian Runners, so I'm particularly excited to have them and to be able to see their growth with my own eyes...!
For the time being, they are exploring their run : they have been inside of a coop since they were born, so today is the first time they can be outside.
Thus, they are obviously very curious to discover things...
...They are really cute, and... they just are perfect.
They are adorable
They sure are cutie pies!!! I know you will enjoy watching them grow, that is the fun part.
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