Indian Runner Duck.

We acquired our first runners in the fall of 2019. We own and produce Blacks, Grays and Blues.

The Runner, also known as Indian Runner, weighs between 4 and 4 1/2 pounds. This duck's slim body and long neck has prompted the description of a "wine-bottle with a head and legs”. Its head is slender with eyes set high, the bill is straight, and the legs are set far back on their bodies, resulting in the upright carriage characteristic of the breed. Typical carriages are 45 to 75 degrees above the horizontal, but when agitated, some runners stand fully upright.

Runner ducks are prolific layers and good strains will lay in excess of 250 white, hen-sized eggs per year. The most active forager of all breeds, they will cover a large area in search of snails, slugs, insects, and other edibles. Their active disposition is evident right from the start, reports breeder David Holderread. When taking hatched ducklings from the incubator he must move slowly and talk to them quietly to keep them from jumping overboard in their enthusiasm to explore their new world. While not capable of sustained flight, Runners can scramble over a two to three foot enclosure for food. Because of its small size this duck is not valued primarily as meat bird, but many regard Runners as having a flavor similar to a wild duck.