Keeping runner ducks is uncomplicated and does not require much effort. You can keep them in almost any garden that offers the animals enough exercise. However, a small pond for the waterfowl and a stable in which the animals are locked up at night to protect them from their predators, such as martens and foxes, are important.

In a nutshell

  • simple attitude, without great demands
  • as waterfowl they need a small pond and a stable for the night
  • The animals are not suitable as meat suppliers, but they lay up to 200 eggs a year
  • absolute favorite food are slugs
  • very freedom-loving, very active and loves to breed

Simple attitude

Runner ducks, also known as Laufis or bottle ducks, are extremely robust and uncomplicated animals. Keeping them is downright easy and requires no great precautions. Since they are very active, however, they need a relatively large garden that offers them plenty of space to run around. It is also important that there is a small pond in the garden where the waterfowl can bathe. They should definitely be locked in a stable at night to protect them from foxes and martens. It is best to keep runner ducks in a small group with a drake and three to four female ducks. It is also possible to keep them in pairs, even if the animals feel much more comfortable with more conspecifics.

omnivore

Ducks are omnivores. That can be a curse and a blessing at the same time. You don't have to worry too much about feeding the animals. In a sufficiently dimensioned garden, no additional feeding is usually necessary in summer, since the animals can feed well on grass and seeds. They will also usually eat every slug and earthworm. Keeping runner ducks is problematic, however, because they inevitably also tamper with ornamental plants and cultivated vegetables.

Source: Nienetwiler, 100911 Laufenten 033 web, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY 2.5 CH

Tip: Vegetable beds and ornamental plants should definitely be protected from the ducks. This works best with a barrier about 50 centimeters high, for example a fence, which the animals cannot climb.

Especially in autumn and winter, however, it is essential to feed them. Grain mixtures, which are sold in specialist shops as poultry gold, for example, are ideal for this. But soaked bread or boiled potatoes are also very popular with the animals.

The perfect snail eaters

Native to Asia, Indian runner ducks were once bred for egg production. The eggs are larger than chicken eggs and have been considered an absolute delicacy by gourmets for decades. When it comes to meat production, the animals do not give much, as they remain extremely slim throughout their lives and hardly gain any weight. Nevertheless, the keeping of runner ducks has experienced something of a renaissance in recent years. The reason for this is the fact that slugs are at the top of the ducks' diet and they clean every garden neatly from the pests. They are almost the perfect snail eaters.

No Muscovy Ducks

Although ducks cannot fly, they can overcome certain obstacles by flapping their wings. This also applies explicitly to the fence that surrounds the home garden. It should have a minimum height of about one meter so that the animals cannot leave the property. It is also important when keeping runner ducks to be aware that the animals can sometimes be very loud. An advance warning for the neighbors can therefore make sense and avoid later trouble.

Source: Fiver the Psychic Indian Runner Ducks (2) edited from Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

pond and barn

Since runner ducks are waterfowl, keeping them appropriate to the species requires a pond. With four animals, it should have a pond size of at least two square meters and offer shallow access. The fastest way to build such a pond is with a pond shell made of PVC. A hole for the shell still has to be dug. A stable for the night is at least as important as a pond. With four animals, it should have a floor space of about two to three square meters. Of central importance is that it can be closed securely and tightly to deter possible intruders in the first place. The stable

  • is usually built from wooden boards
  • usually has a door with a wooden frame and a rabbit hutch grid
  • has a secure closure that cannot be easily detached
  • is thickly strewn with straw
  • needs a bowl of food and water
Source: Karatecoop, Medicinal Plant Gardens Weleda Schwaebisch Gmuend pond with Indian Runner Ducks, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

If possible, the barn should have ground-level access. If this is not possible, a kind of chicken ladder must be built so that the animals can get into the stable. The ducks will only be in the barn at night and when it is colder than -15 degrees Celsius outside.

Runner ducks are wild birds for which there may be a stall obligation even if kept in the garden. For example, there is a stable requirement if you live in a region where avian influenza has broken out. The animals then have to stay in the barn all day and are not allowed to go outside. The authorities usually provide information about the correct procedure in the daily press. Violating the stable obligation can lead to sensitive fines.

nests and offspring

The animals will usually also lay their eggs in the barn. They also usually build their nests there to incubate the eggs with offspring. Runner ducks are so-called ground breeders and are considered to be very fond of breeding. If you also want to have offspring while keeping runner ducks and own a drake, sooner or later you will also have chicks. After hatching, these should initially be kept away from the drake, as there is always a risk that it will kill the small birds. You should also keep them away from water for the first two weeks of their life. Their childlike plumage would become so saturated that they would perish and drown.

Source: Dejungen, Laufentenkueken5, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Collect eggs daily

Chicks can only hatch from fertilized eggs. For most of the year, however, the eggs laid will be unfertilized and safe to eat. In the first year, a duck will lay around 200 eggs, and in the second year it will lay at least 150 eggs. the eggs

  • are 50 to 75 grams heavy
  • have a brown skin
  • are considered very tasty

If possible, the eggs should be removed from the nest in the barn every day and then stored in the refrigerator.

frequently asked Questions

Can several drakes be kept at the same time?

Theoretically yes. However, in practice, nasty quarrels between drakes very often occur. It is usually about who is allowed to mate with which female animal. In addition, there is always a risk that a drake will kill the chicks that come from another drake.

How to separate the chicks from a drake?

Usually by initially leaving the little ones with their mother in the stall all the time. At night, part of the stall is then separated from the rest of the stall by a rabbit lattice frame.

Can you touch or hold the chicks?

Yes, you can. However, there is a risk that the mother perceives the chicks as a threat and will attack to defend the offspring.

Category:

Animals in the garden