Suspicious...Indian Runner Question

[lklascala]

Anyone raise Indian Runner ducks that can answer a question for me. We hatched a duckling that is now 2 weeks old, but it has a puff ball on his head. I suspect that he may not be an Indian Runner after all. Pictures attached, but doesn't do the puff justice.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Indian Runners can be crested, It’s somewhere in the family.

 

[DuckyDonna]

I raise runners. That's a crested one I guess. You will need to be very careful with that one once it turns about 4 months old and the others want to mate with it. If they pull on that crest during mating it will not be good. That is if it's a girl. Even if it's a drake it's a very vulnerable spot that can be attacked.

The crest is a skull defect meaning that there is no bone structure under that crest. So if it's a girl and a drake starts pulling on it during mating. Not good. Not good at all.

It might look "cute" but in my opinion it's a problem.

 

[FluffyBottomBantams]

He’s crested!! I’ve never heard of it being a problem for a female that’s interesting...if he’s a male on the other hand..that thing will be a chick magnet for sure

 

[DuckyDonna]

He’s crested!! I’ve never heard of it being a problem for a female that’s interesting...if he’s a male on the other hand..that thing will be a chick magnet for sure

the problem for females is that the drake mounts them and pulls on their head/neck. If they've got a crest its a big magnet for them to grab hold of and pull! They pull too hard and it's a big problem.

 

[FluffyBottomBantams]

the problem for females is that the drake mounts them and pulls on their head/neck. If they've got a crest its a big magnet for them to grab hold of and pull! They pull too hard and it's a big problem.

It makes sense. It’s a shame it’s quite the he statement piece

 

[DuckyDonna]

It makes sense. It’s a shame it’s quite the he statement piece

I know it really looks cool doesn't it! When you find out there is no skull under it it becomes way less cool when you think about mating and just general messing around it would be so easy to get brain damage.

 

[Isaac 0]

This is good info about crest deformities,

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/the-truth-behind-crested-ducks.707110/

 

[FluffyBottomBantams]

I’ve heard of silkies with skull deformities from their crests but that’s more of a domed shape right? To add volume or something? Seems a tad dramatic to me