~Runner Duck Club~

Miss Lydia · Jun 25, 2019

We really love Runners so we tolerate their owners.

jillmost80 · Jun 25, 2019

animalpro24 said:
Do your runners swim/bathe in their pool or pond very often? It seems like my girl barley ever gets in. Hmmm.....

one of my girls are always in and they stay in for a bit but one is like my drake. My drake only maybe once a day for two mins at the most.

JinxieKat · Jul 1, 2019

How often do your adult runner molt? I have a 2 year old that’s on her 3rd on in 9 months. Where my others of the same age have only molted once.

Is this normal?

WannaBeHillBilly · Jul 1, 2019

JinxieKat said:
How often do your adult runner molt? I have a 2 year old that’s on her 3rd on in 9 months. Where my others of the same age have only molted once.

Is this normal?

One of my girls seem to have a permanent molt during the summer months. Her feathers always look ruffled up she is loudly complaining permanently, charging at me and both drakes - but she is also the best layer i have. She once laid an egg with 100 grams and a single huge yolk and lays up to two large eggs per day. Probably too much hormones in her body, but she will calm down in fall and so far she is doing good, eating, drinking pooping, all the usual duck stuff.
The others were molting after the weather got warmer and have kept their feathers since then. I expect the next molt at the end of summer.

Miss Lydia · Jul 1, 2019

Mine molted back in late winter early spring but seem to have mini molts along through the year, where they don’t lose their wing feathers just body feathers.

Miss Lydia · Jul 1, 2019

Miss Lydia said:
Mine molted back in late winter early spring but seem to have mini molts along through the year, where they don’t lose their wing feathers just body feathers.

Maybe try some protein like some good quality cat food(dry) sprinkled over her feed.

JinxieKat · Jul 1, 2019

She eats and drinks fine. She just looses all her wing feathers each time. Her food protein in take is fine. She is getting enough & is eating her fair share. She is laying just fine. So I’m not worried about that.

Miss Lydia · Jul 1, 2019

Reason I mentioned cat food is feathers are protein and just maybe she needs a little more just like some duckling need a little extra niacin. All ducks aren’t created equal. Lol. I don’t think that is normal to lose flight feathers with each molt.

DuckyDonna · Jul 1, 2019

I've got 11 runners and their molting is all over the place. The first time I saw a "big one" I thought sure they were dying. they didn't. I do put a small handful of dry cat food in their food bucket each day and at this moment everyone looks great.

Trimurtisan · Jul 14, 2019

Alright guys, it's been a bit dead in here recently.
Who want to see some Runners?!
I sure do!

This is Violet, our only Black Runner. When I placed my order, there was a hatching issue, and she was the only Runner of the batch to be sent. She has been raised with Ancona ducklings until recently when I integrated the 2 ages together. The the other Runners got here about 3 weeks after her. She was the first to get her honk, but overall shes not all that noisy. She love to bite and drink water out of the water hose. Spraying in the air around her keeps us both busy for 15 minutes, no problem

These are the White & Buff fluffy butts.
Well, they where fluffy...
My babies are growing up and getting feathers.
It happens so darn fast!
So I'll be honest, none of the W&B have names yet. I can't even tell them apart yet. They have warmed up to me much much faster than the Ancona have, and are already responding to coop training well. Their "coop" is a pop up crate trainer for dog, but it's in the living room so they can see me much more often than the Ancona did. A tip I picked up from @Miss Lydia
(Anconas are now in the living room too)