runner colors & breeding age

[sayyadina]

I was wondering what color runner ducks I have. I know I have 4 black, 1 blue (?), & 2 emery penciled (?), but there are 3 I can't identify the color of. At what age do I need to worry about them starting to breed? They're all 2 1/2 months old now.

And their house & pen.

 

[love_a_duck]

sayyadina,

I don't have the knowledge to give you the colors you ask for, but I wanted to thank you for the pictures.
they are quite beautiful runners, and I love the goose sticking his/her face in the third pic!

and wow, my mouth dropped open on the picture of their house and pen.
quite stunning.
well done.

beth

 

[Sweetfolly]

Besides the colors you mentioned, I see a Fawn & White Runner in your bunch, and two that look like they're Splash (the light-silvery ones)?

And I agree - awesome set-up you have there!

 

[sayyadina]

Thank you!

The light silvery ones are kind of a cream/very pale yellow, with grey/silver. Its kind of hard to tell right now, since they're all molting like crazy!

The barn is actually made of all recycled materials from another barn we had to take down. The only things that are new are the windows we built, the hardware, & the fencing. The skylight was in the house, before we replaced it.

 

[nettie]

the light silvery gray ones are probably Lavenders. The ones that looks like lightened mallards are probably Trout colored. I agree with the four blacks, and the one looks like a really dark blue. It also looks like one emery penciled and 1 fawn and white (his bill is a bit dark, but his body colors are fawn and white).

Hopefully that helps. They certainly are pretty. I'd be more than happy to take those lavenders off your hands! lol! Where did you get them? Some of those colors are hard to come by.

 

[Sweetfolly]

Quote:
I think those are Welsh Harlequins, aren't they?

And sayyadina, did you get them from Holderreads?

 

[sayyadina]

I got them from Holderreads, 10 of the deluxe runner assortment. And I got 6 Welsh Harlequins from them too, 5 silvers & 1 gold (she's in the first picture).

I think I have 50/50 males & females, so I'll have to sell some of the drakes. How old do they have to be to start breeding?

 

[Sweetfolly]

Quote:
Probably 4 to 6 months.

My 3-month-olds from Holderreads aren't showing any interest yet...I've never really paid any attention to when they start! Last year, my July-hatched birds were breeding by February, so that would be 7 months...I never saw any of the drakes mount the ducks before then...I'd just watch them - when you see them starting to breed, then you'll know!

And being that they come from Holderreads, I'm going to stick with Silver/Splash for those light-colored Runners of yours...chickboss got a Silver Runner from them this year too - there are some pictures of what they looked like as ducklings on this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=349578&p=1

We should all bug her about getting some new pictures!

 

[MysticalMom]

I have nothing to add except that I had to say... WOW! What beautiful ducks! And that's quite a set up. *jealous*

 

[L0rraine]

I would say that the two light colored ones are Silver/Splash (they get called one or the other or both). They result from blue x blue Runner matings (about 1 in four of the ducklings are splash). I ended up with two in my last hatch that look identical to yours.

This is what they looked like as babies -- and at eight weeks: (and I second everyone else - beautiful ducks and fantastic housing!)