Indian Runner Ducks
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The Indian Runner Duck is a breed of domestic duck. They are native to the Indian-sub-continent and Malaysia. The breed, it is thought, was first brought to Europe via Whitehaven, Cumbria in the United Kingdom, by a sea captain prior to 1835, as they were exhibited at the London Zoological Gardens by this date. Later imports were also made and by the end of the 19th century the breed’s popularity had spread considerably. In the Encyclopaedia of Poultry by J. Stephen Hicks, it is stated that the true Indian Runner Duck were developed by a Mr. J. Donald of Wigton, Cumbria and it is from his original flock that the present day stock descend.
The Indian Runner Duck is a favorite among poultry lovers.
They are also bred throughout farms for natural pest control, being released by the thousands. Their waste makes good fertilizer. They are often kept as pets.
The life expectancy of domestic ducks kept as pets is 8 to 12 years.
Description:
They are a light weight duck are bred in many colors, including white, black, (Cumberland) blue, chocolate, fawn, fawn and white. pencilled (similar to fawn and white) trout, mallard, silver (silverwildfarben) and apricot.
This extraordinary looking duck, it is characterized by an extremely short Femora, the thigh or upper bones of the legs, with consequence that their feet are not brought, as other ducks, under the middle of the body, but are placed much farther behind. This means that to bring the duck's centre of gravity over the point of support (its feet), the duck must assume an erect attitude, like that of a penguin (it has been called mistakenly in the past as a Penguin Duck). In size they can be up to 14 inches (36 cm) tall and can weigh around 3–5 lb (1.4–2.3 kg), the drakes being heavier than the ducks.
Although these ducks have small bodies and are not bred as table birds, many regard them as being well-flavoured, rather similar to the taste of wild duck. In Australia, the breed is used extensively for meat in Chinese restaurants, despite it being labeled unsuitable for meat production by many people.
Breeding / Nesting
They are quiet and known for their excellent egg laying production (up to 365 per year, or one per day in one year old ducks from the best utility strains; however production can vary quite a lot between strains), and only very rarely go broody.
The eggs are white, off-white, blue, or light green in colour and around the size of a large hen's egg (approximately 2.5 oz (70.87 g)).
Diet / Feeding
The breed does not require the same food intake as the larger breeds, and the Indian runner likes nothing better than foraging for tidbits amongst ground cover and foliage, this will include a lot of slugs and worms and insects found in the grass and streams. It will also include greens, such as grass and duck-weed and with this in mind are also bred on farms for their natural pest control abilities.
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