I got a boxful of ducks!

[Lisa]

My shipment of Indian Runner Duck hatchlings arrived yesterday. (Actually I picked them up at the depot and brought them back on the bus, which caused some commotion among the other passengers because the box was squeaking and moving around!)

Wish I had some photos but these will have to do for now. I think I have 2 chocolate ones and 4 that are black or slate grey.



(from Feathersite, which also has pics of the adults)
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Ducks/Runners/BRKRunners.html


Anyway, I got the ducklings settled into an enclosure in the kitchen. I picked up one and dipped its bill into the water bowl -- and as soon as he started drinking, all the others rushed over and imitated him. (I wish that ALL my teaching gigs were that easy.) It took them a bit longer to figure out the smaller waterers (with pop-bottle reservoirs) but they're using those now. Later on I gave them some warm mash with extra soy flour, niacin and calcium -- and they devoured it so quickly that I began to suspect that they were, in fact, pigs cunningly disguised in duck costumes.

They set up a great cry when I went into the next room to watch the late night news, so I ended up putting them in a towel-lined basket on the couch. They did NOT like the CTV coverage of the Canadian election leaders' debate, but settled down during Jon Stewart's show (are they progressives, or do they just have good taste in comedy?) and were asleep by the time the "moment of Zen" footage rolled at the end.

I'm going to be sorry to see them go tomorrow, when a friend takes them to her farm further up Vancouver Island. But I'm starting to run out of duck chow anyway!

[Taverner]

1. What do you do with Indian Runner ducks?

Can they actually run? If so how fast?

can they run errands?

[Lisa]

3. Errands? Hmm ...

Maybe I should sew them little messenger packs! Might be able to train them to carry letters. I don't know what their top speed is, but legend has it that they can keep up with a person who's walking at a normal pace, for quite a long distance.

They were originally bred in SE Asia, centuries ago, for helping farmers control weeds and pests in the rice crops. Duck herders would escort them out into the country to "work", then back home again at sunset. They're slimmer and lighter than other breeds, and are also excellent egg layers.

Currently they are a rare heritage livestock breed.

http://www.albc-usa.org/waterfowl/runner_duck.htm

[Taverner]

7. Well I dunno...but if you went through all that trouble for them

I say they owe you a couple trips to and from the 7-11...pick up a paper, a slurpee...etc

[YellowRubberDuckie]

2. I'm glad to see you're treating them well...

I love ducks. When we went camping there was a little family that liked our area of the camp. It was fun to watch them. They were so cute. And one got lost, and the dad went after it lickety split, and you could hear him quacking him out. It was so cute.
Duckie

[ronnykmarshall]

4. I love ducks too.

There was a park near in my hometown that had a bunch of them in a pond. Sometimes when I would make waffles of pancakes for breakfast, I would use up all the extra batter and make some of the ducks.

There were all: "to hell with this bread crumb shit, here comes that queen with the waffles!".

[Pithlet]

6. I love ducks, too.

Those babies are so cute! I wish I could have ducks. They aren't allowed in my neighborhood.

[ET Awful]

5. Awwwww. . . ducklings are so damned cute :)

I get to see plenty of them and goslings around here. It's always fun when you see a goose, a gander and half a dozen goslings ambling down the street :)