I bought what I thought were Indian Runner ducks 3 weeks ago, but they have grown so fast that I'm wondering now what I have??? They're in with my baby chicks now and making a mess, so will have to seperate them soon. Somebody posted a few days ago asking if ducks and chickens can live together. I haven't had any problems yet, but the ducks-geese are piddling in the water constantly, so I've had to change the water and bedding more often. Here is a pic. from 3 wks ago and one today. What the heck are these they are huge!....thanks

-- Kent in WA (kent@premier1.net), April 02, 2001

Answers

From the shape of the body I'd say it was an Indian Runner duck. They do get fairly big.

Stacy Rohan in Windsor, NY

-- Stacy Rohan (KincoraFarm@aol.com), April 02, 2001.

I can't tell much from the first photo, but the second definately looks like an Indian Runner duck. Runners have a very distinct body type and stance.

-- Lenette (kigervixen@webtv.net), April 02, 2001.

Thanks for the response. I have Rouen ducks and they sure didn't grow like this when they were little. Is this normal?...maybe I have super ducks!...LOL They sure are clods moving around. Good thing the chicks are fast enough to get out of their way. How soon do they feather out and can be let out to my pond? It's still unsettled weather here with about 6 inches of rain the past week in W.Wash. so might be awhile I would think. So much for the so called drought around here at least.

-- Kent in WA (kent@premier1.net), April 02, 2001.

Yup, that's a runner duck. Looks like it'll be fawn and white colored, aren't they cute?

-- Rebekah (daniel@itss.net), April 02, 2001.

I don't really know much about ducks but one difference I have learned between ducks and geese are the bills. Duck bills are more rounded and geese bills are more tapered. Yours looks like a duck bill to me.

-- Yvonne (gyvonneb@hotmail.com), April 02, 2001.

I don't remember how long it took my ducks to feather out, but I do remember it seemed like *forever* because I was also anxious to get them out.:-) I lost a bunch of ducklings last fall that the duck hatched. I thought she would know how to take care of them without help from me, but she took them into the water one day while I was gone. They couldn't get out on their own and were terribly chilled when we got home. She lost them one by one; the only ones that survived were the two we took away from her and brought in the house. I guess the moral of the story is don't let unfeathered ducklings get into cold water.

-- mary, texas (marylgarcia@aol.com), April 02, 2001.

I don't remember how long it took my ducks to feather out, but I do remember it seemed like *forever* because I was also anxious to get them out.:-) They did seem to grow fast, though... I lost a bunch of ducklings last fall that the duck hatched. I thought she would know how to take care of them without help from me, but she took them into the water one day while I was gone. They couldn't get out on their own and were terribly chilled when we got home. She lost them one by one; the only ones that survived were the two we took away from her and brought in the house. I guess the moral of the story is don't let unfeathered ducklings get into cold water.

-- mary, texas (marylgarcia@aol.com), April 02, 2001.

Cute ducks you have there. I would separate them until the chicks catch up on size, though. Somebody's going to get hurt otherwise. You can put them back together when the chickens are big enough to defend themselves. It will also help keep your chicks dry. I'm building a hardware cloth bottomed cage for raising my baby ducks in, I'm tired of cleaning up the swamp they make. I will still use shavings for bedding, but at least it won't stay soggy all the time if it can drain. (I hope)

-- Connie (Connie@lunehaven.com), April 03, 2001.

Cute ducks, I have always brooded my ducks, geese and chicks seperately since size and growth rates were so different. Also, since the ducklings and goslings should be fed wetted down feed until they are much older. As mentioned earlier don't let them get out until they are feathered....they won't have any "waterproofing" until then, and would be susceptible to chills like any other poultry. They just need to be able to wet their heads...to keep eyes and nostrils clear. Hope to have a few of these myself soon. Enjoy!

-- Bear (bearwaoman@Yahoo.com), April 03, 2001.

Ducks (and Geese) quickly out grow chicks. They are like sponges. Add water and...POOF! duck. You can take your ducklets out to swim but start with five to ten minutes at a time and don't leave them alone. If it is a long walk to the water, crry them there in a pail, and take along a net for catching. My duck pond was little more than a large mud puddle, 8 ft diameter. As time goes by and they feather out they can stay out longer. You will become Mama and they will bond to you and maybe learn to follow and come when called (but don't count on it) Mama ducks with babies should be kept penned and allowed out once a day for a swim with the kids and chaparoned, or the babies get worn out and lost when little. As a warning to you in future it you let ducks sit on eggs that daddy ducks can be mean and drown the ducklings, not all daddy ducks, just some (sort of like people if you know what I mean!) Good luck with your puudlers!

-- Leslie Rigley (impguard@telenet.net), April 03, 2001.

Thanks for all the info. Looks like I have runners. Sun is finally out here today, so I'm going to move them to a new home. They are making way too much mess in with the chickens! It's been cold and wet here the past week. We even had some snow on monday! Another 10 days on my goose and duck eggs in the incubator, so hopefully I'll get to start this all over again. Here's a cute pic of one of my Rouen ducks from last summer and one of my chicken coop and pond. Keeping them in a box in the house gets real old fast!...LOL

-- Kent in WA (kent@premier1.net), April 04, 2001.

Yup, Kent. Ducks grow way faster than chicks. I just put my ducklings out in the regular duck pen a few days ago, they made such a mess in the chickenhouse. They have lots of deep bedding now to keep them warm. I do have a pair of adult ducks in there, but the babies are in an interior pen, inside the larger duck area, so the adults can't hurt them. The cayuga drake is very agressive right now, as the hen is laying eggs. He chases me and pecks on the back of my legs when I go in to feed and water them, so I know he would probably do the same to the babies. Good luck, and let us know if the incubator eggs hatch! Jan

-- Jan in Co (Janice12@aol.com), April 05, 2001.

Kent what a wonderful, homey looking picture of your duck/goose farm and pond... I am also in the process of raising chicks and geese... I have a similar setup, with no pond... I put a makeshift pond in out of a wading pool or agateware tin tub...dont you love watching them each day??

-- Michele Rae Padgett (michelesmelodyfarm@Yahoo.com), April 06, 2001.

I let my indian runners in to the pond on Sat. and they didn't want anything to do with the water!....they are about 7 weeks old now and fully feathered out. All they wanted to do was get back into the chicken area with the chicks. They must think they are chickens...LOL After about 2 hours I gave in and put them back with the chicks. I had only 3 out of 8 rouen eggs hatch out last week. None of the goose eggs pipped. It looks like they died about 3 weeks into the incubation. I'll have to post a question on that. I bought some other ducklings and 2 new geese, so they are all together now. I let them out on Sat. and they couldn't wait to jump in the water and play, so beats me what is going on with the runners. Here's a pic of the new ones. They range from 1 wk-3 wks.


-- Kent in WA (kent@premier1.net), April 23, 2001.

I would say defitnely it is an indian runner be it stance and beak

-- Cory (cory_ralke@hotmail.com), June 07, 2001.

it's so cute i think it's a duck

-- alex (nick_is_hot@2die4.com), March 23, 2002.