Some questions about Indian Runners

[Skyle]

I'm new to ducks and I was thinking for a wile to add some ducks to my Brahma flock, something like two or three females. I saw that one breeder in my country ships eggs of Mini Indian Runners. Do they get along with large chickens? Can they eat the same things? How big do they get? What can I do to avoid them to make a mess with the water?

 

[ronott1]

Good questions about indian runner ducks!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have Indian Runner ducks and I love them little slim things but I have to be honest they are slobs, you’ll not be able to have food an water inside if your planning on housing them with your chickens they will trash the coop. My Runners get along with my chickens my Muscovy and my geese. But you have to be careful with drakes especially if you don’t have enough female ducks they will want to mate your hens. I haven’t had that problem since my drakes have plenty of female ducks and they aren’t penned together during the day. Everyone free ranges on half acre fenced property.

 

[Skyle]

But you have to be careful with drakes especially if you don’t have enough female ducks they will want to mate your hens.

Thank you, I'm planning to don't have drakes, so the number of females won't be a problem.

I have Indian Runner ducks and I love them little slim things but I have to be honest they are slobs, you’ll not be able to have food an water inside if your planning on housing them with your chickens they will trash the coop.

I have food and water in the run (plus some water bowls outside) because there the food won't be wet if it rains and the chickens can easly reach food and water when they are sheltered from the rain. The Runners just throw the water everywhere or they do the same thing with the food? In the run I have about 15 cm (5.9 inch) of sand, which quickly drains the water so that is very difficult to have stagnations. About the food, I have a feeder which avoids chickens to trow everything on the ground, can it work with ducks (if they mess with the food)? I saw in a shop a feeder made for ducks, should I buy it or that's not necessary?

 

[DuckyDonna]

I'm not sure what feeder you have but I've got 10 runners and just hatched 9 more. This is what has worked for my ducks for years. It's just a plain 5-gallon bucket that you cut holes in so they can feed from it. Leave the cover on it and rain won't get in although I keep mine under a small roof anyway. I find that even in the rain the feed does not get wet and very little gets wasted. This is my progression from duckling - adult.

Here is a video on how to make it. go to about the 8 minute mark and he teaches you how to do it.

 

[Skyle]

This is a feeder similar than the one I have, I think it works very well, my chickens don't throw the food on the ground anymore.

 

[DuckyDonna]

I guess if you are feeding the ducks and chickens the same food it won't matter. The ducks will make a big mess with the water so if I were you I wouldn't put in inside their night sleeping pen unless the temperature is very hot outside. That is the only time I do it and I put a big aluminum pan under the bucket to catch the water. Oh, but wait, if you have food in the pen that they sleep in you HAVE to have water. Ducks must have water if they have food or they will choke.

 

[Skyle]

Food and water aren't in the same space where they sleep, they are in the covered part of the run and, when the chickens go sleep, I close the door so that predators can't reach them (and at that point the chickens can't go in the run).