Runner or Campbells?

[chrispbrown27]

Is there a way to tell the difference between an indian runner and a khaki campbells? I picked up two ducklings yesterday, when I called asking about runners they said they had some. When I got there the guy said all they had were campbells ducklings and pekins. I know what the pekin ducklings look like but after looking online it looks to me like an indian runner and a khaki campbells look very similar when they are young. Anyone have any idea?
Chris

 

[missnu01]

Runner ducks stand up really tall and khaki Campbells have a normal stopped duck walk. Easiest way to tell I can think of

 

[chrispbrown27]

Even as ducklings? If that is the case then we didn't get the runner we wanted. Thanks for the reply.
Chris

 

[missnu01]

It might take them a couple weeks, but I was just reading a thread where a person had ordered welsh harlequin ducks but got a runner. They knew by the walk... Don't recall how old the duckling in question was though. I am assuming here that when the duckling starts to become duck shaped its walk will probably kick in... Perhaps around 2 weeks or so?

 

[chrispbrown27]

Well, they seem to stand up slightly more straight then my pekin ducklings so I am staying optimistic! Wouldn't be too terrible to have some campbells, but we were really wanting some of those goofy looking runners!
Chris

 

[bettythegreat]

I read that khaki campbells are bred from runners, so wouldn't they stand a bit more upwards than other breeds anyway? I just got a couple ducklings from the feed store and I cannot tell if they are chocolate runners or khaki campbells, the employees didn't know either but were guessing khaki. When I was looking online for comparisons I found http://www.metzerfarms.com/BirdInfo...i Campbell&BirdType=Duck&ID=KC&CustID=1528731 the picture of the duckling is a khaki yet looks so much like the duckling on their chocolate runner page http://www.metzerfarms.com/BirdInfo...te Runner&BirdType=Duck&ID=CHR&CustID=1528731
When mine are alarmed or excited the stand up taller, but I don't know if that's just what ducklings do or if that could mean runners, here is a picture of mine:

 

[shicks0211]

hard to tell from the pics..judging from their beak they are super young, but i had some eggs that i got from the lake and i wasn't sure who's they were..the runner, the khaki, or the buff..the size sort of ruled out the buff, but then the father is a buff with out a doubt so i had to wait to see..as soon as they hatched i knew they belonged to the chocolate runner duck. The runners have a very different stance, even when first hatched..they are thinner and have what appears to be a longer neck..it's not actually, it's just that their chest area is thinner and tapers ..and they walk differently because the body is so tall and thin..and unlike other duck breeds the chest and head doesn't jut out forward from the legs, but rather is up taller..i think you'd be able to tell if they were runners for sure..even if they're mixed.

 

[bettythegreat]

Thanks, these are my first ducks so I wasn't sure what to look at to compare, the thin neck/chest description helps. From what I can tell the chest does look like it sticks out at least a little bit, I couldn't tell if they have long necks because they stand up at attention and seem to have longer necks when they're alert but otherwise do not look like they're standing 'upright'. So for now it appears khaki is more likely. We have such a slug and snail problem here, salt and beer traps are just not working; I can't wait until these girls/boys are old enough to cut down the population.

 

[chrispbrown27]

The ducklings in the last two pictures, especially the last one, look very different then the ducklings I have. Their heads are rounder than my ducklings, mine have heads that are a bit flatter as it slopes to the beak. My ducklings also have a darker coloration on their body than those. The coloration on the beaks are also different then mine, with mine having less of the lighter color around it. Without looking at my ducklings (they are out in the coop now) there seems to be something different about the legs, but off the top of my head I can't figure out what it is. I have decided mine are runners base on the way they run.....straight up like they have a board strapped to their backs. They do waddle much like my pekins until they really want to get somewhere.
On a side note, I have always read how ducks are prone to imprinting. Our ducks don't seem to have imprinted with any of us. We have handled them from the time we brought them home and took them to swim in the bathtub almost every night and handled them while they swam. They still run from us, with only one showing any sign of being at ease with me around and she will only come sit by me if I sit still but will move away if I make a move. Is it normal for them to be so skittish?
Chris

 

[shicks0211]

yes..i've raised ducks from a day old..and i've hatched them and they for sure imprint then. But for a duck..imprinting doesn't mean they'll climb in your lap and be like a dog. My ducks know i'm their mom..but they do run..they see me and quack and run over but they ..well most of them prefer not to be touched..a couple of them will let me pet them. They will all eat from my hand..and they follow me around..i can herd them into their pen ..they will always be "ducks" and they are sort of skittish..it's their instinct..if they weren't like that then they could get killed..you can't get that skittish out of them really..but they like you and trust you to an extent..If you feed them in the yard and sit down with the food near you or in your hand, they'll come and eat from you..but then if you move it'll startle them. Although, when i'm in the yard, mine all run up and i can walk through the flock doing my thing and they pay me no mind..then 2 minutes later they'll all quack and run as if i did something to startle them..then they all wander back over and stand by me again. It's just how ducks are.