The Indian Runner

One of the most recognizable breeds with its unusual very upright stance and 'hock bottle' shape. Very popular and now bred in a wide range of colours. It is this breed that brought high egg laying yields to ducks - but not all strains are high producers now. Breeders need to get their eye back on the ball and improve what we have before we lose so much genetic potential.

ORIGIN : Malaya, Asia - the story goes that a ships captain brought home some fawns, fawn and whites and whites giving them to friends in Dumfriesshire and Cumberland.
BREEDING
EGGS: utility form is a prolific layer - the exhibition bred birds now vary rather considerably.
SIZE : medium; drakes- 3.5 - 5 lbs (1.6-2.3 kg) 
ducks - 3-4.5 lbs (1.4-2kg)
MEAT: not really the right shape for it but is well flavoured
TEMPERAMENT : very active; the exhibition bred is rarely broody - but some of the old utility lines would brood and rear very well indeed.
COLOURS : Fawn first shown in 1876; Fawn and white in 1896;
Now 9 colours are included in the British Waterfowl Standards :
Black : Chocolate : Cumberland Blue : Fawn : Fawn and White : American fawn and white : Mallard : Trout : White

There is also the utility runner - usually fawn and white and extremely good layers. They were the foundation of the khaki campbell among others but good quality lines are becoming increasingly difficult to find in the UK as many of the major breeders from the 1950's retire from breeding. These are not as upright nor usually as well marked but they made up for it by laying up to 300 eggs a year.
Most, if not all, of these wonderful birds were lost before this current resurgence of popularity in waterfowl keeping started.

There are those who say Indian Runners do not need the same water as other breeds. This is not born out by the birds themselves who are just as keen to be immersed first thing in the morning and spend much of the day paddling in a pond as every other breed. It may be that their shape allows them to preen more effectively out of a bowl or bucket but they definately prefer proper water.

Tim and Jill Bowis
Kintaline Mill Farm, Benderloch, OBAN Argyll PA37 1QS Scotland
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