Thought I had Indian Runner ducklings but I am not sure. (Question Answered March 13, 2013)

[Miss Lydia]

Okie dokie it seems now that my ducklings are almost 2 months old one of them is developing a cool 2 inch long greenish tint at the tips of it's wing feathers. I think the other one might have that too. Sometimes they walk like runners but other times they walk like other breeds. So I think I am still trying to figure out what breed they are. I thought I was sure until the green started showing up in their feathers. One of them is loud and talkative and slightly larger. While the other is more quiet and is slightly smaller than the other one. I will be taking better photos tomorrow, more up to date ones.
These were taken about a week and a half ago with my phone so the quality may not be as good.



The one with it's head turned giving the side eye look to me is the slightly larger one. As well as very gabby. I like that though.

Hard to say for sure but you have to take into condsideration that hatchery Runners aren't going to stand tall and pencil thin like SQ so they still maybe runners, get some pics of them standing too, they sure are cuties!

 

[Megan Amber]

Growing up real nice! Still look just like mine- the runner mix.

 

[stonykill]

Oh I gotcha! My duck flock is actually a little to big. I have to many drakes but can't bring myself to pick a couple out to butcher!

pick out a few before the nearly or successfully kill a female. I know it is hard, but the girls are going to get either so beat up they stop laying or worse.

 

[Megan Amber]

pick out a few before the nearly or successfully kill a female. I know it is hard, but the girls are going to get either so beat up they stop laying or worse.

Yeah your right. I am in the process of doing so and I added some females to help counter balance things. I now have more girls than I do boys.

 

[stonykill]

Yeah your right. I am in the process of doing so and I added some females to help counter balance things. I now have more girls than I do boys.

I have 9 girls and 2 boys and for my flock anyway that is the number that is working. 4 to 5 girls per drake. I had 3 drakes and the lowest one got killed by the other drakes on Easter. Nature will fix it if you don't

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have 9 girls and 2 boys and for my flock anyway that is the number that is working. 4 to 5 girls per drake. I had 3 drakes and the lowest one got killed by the other drakes on Easter. Nature will fix it if you don't

Aww stony sorry to hear about your drake, even though it did help out ratio still not a nice thing to find. Poor guy.

 

[stonykill]

Aww stony sorry to hear about your drake, even though it did help out ratio still not a nice thing to find. Poor guy.

thanks Miss L. He is in the freezer but not the way he should have ended up there. Lesson learned. Got to think of it that way. But the good news is all 6 Runner females are laying and all 3 Pekins are as well. Selling Runner hatching eggs like crazy until things warm up here a bit and I entice someone to go broody and make more babies

 

[Miss Lydia]

thanks Miss L. He is in the freezer but not the way he should have ended up there. Lesson learned. Got to think of it that way. But the good news is all 6 Runner females are laying and all 3 Pekins are as well. Selling Runner hatching eggs like crazy until things warm up here a bit and I entice someone to go broody and make more babies

Lots of ducklings in your future stony and runner/ Pekin? would love to see that mix.

we have our first 7 chicks hatch under broody last thurs. no ducks sitting yet.

 

[stonykill]

Lots of ducklings in your future stony and runner/ Pekin? would love to see that mix.

we have our first 7 chicks hatch under broody last thurs. no ducks sitting yet.

I do have a plan. We will see how the girls cooperate. In the duck pen I am only going to hatch Runners. Now when a RIR or other large breed chicken goes broody I plan on putting the Pekin Runner mix under one of them to live with some chickens. I'll keep 1 drake from that and all of the girls born. That is the plan anyway

 

[Miss Lydia]

I do have a plan. We will see how the girls cooperate. In the duck pen I am only going to hatch Runners. Now when a RIR or other large breed chicken goes broody I plan on putting the Pekin Runner mix under one of them to live with some chickens. I'll keep 1 drake from that and all of the girls born. That is the plan anyway

Can't imagine the look on one of your hens faces when she hatches a duckling. That woukd be priceless. Sounds like a good plan.