Runner drakes?

[duckins]

Thinking in the future of getting a runner drake and few more hens to have baby runners. if he is raised/brooded with hens can he be housed with them when they are older without problems?

 

[Kevin565]

If you're referring to female ducks then it should be fine.

 

[duckins]

Yes 1 runner drake with runners females

 

[jdywntr]

Yup he'd be fine, after being properly introduced.

I do have to caution (as always

) make sure that you have a plan for ducklings if you want to hatch them out. If you plan to sell some of them, do you have the space, time and funds to support another 5-15 ducks if they don't sell? Are you prepared to handle any deaths and possibly have to cull any sickly/deformed ducklings to prevent suffering? Hatching is great but the result is a bunch of little lives.

Believe me, I have been there. I had runners first, hatched out ducklings and couldn't sell them to save my life. I basically ended up giving them away (though they did end up going to a BYC chickenstock with a fellow BYCer). I don't want to sound harsh just realistic. I think there are far too many animals born, whether it be ducks, chickens, dogs, cats etc, so that people can "experience" the birth of them and enjoy them when young. But then there are no plans for these animals. Ducks can live 6-8 years or much longer 15 yrs isn't unheard of. Currently, I have muscovy ducklings. A few of whom started feather picking. They are now living in the garage and every day I move them back and forth to an outside pen. This is not at all what I had planned but they will now stay there until they are grown as I've tried to reintergrate them and then find a bloody hatchmate.

Again, not trying to be harsh. I just want to make sure people think all things through beforehand and avoid any pitfalls like I ran into.

 

[duckins]

Totally agree. Thinking in the morning light stick with my flock if I ever want more just order what I want unsold ducklings would be something to worry over. There always people buying the mess out of them at Easter then dumping them I'd hate to think of that happening to any we sold I appreciate your angle it helps to have other views bc sometimes we can't see it when it's in front of us.