My oldest runner ducks turned seven on Saturday, which is quite a good age for them (their father died earlier this year at 8). Amazingly they are still fertile and laying eggs reasonably regularly, if not prolifically, at this age. Which brings me to one of the questions that cropped up in my keyword searches.
How long will an Indian Runner lay eggs?
Well the usual answer is for the first three years, after which there is usually a fairly dramatic fall off in production, but this post has rather disproved this as an absolute rule.
One thing that improved egg production, and probably helps with a laying later in life and overall longevity is good genetic diversity; my birds are a cross between completely unrelated strains.
Can I mix domestic duck breeds?
Yes, but remember that smaller breeds may be vulnerable to being attacked by larger ones during the breeding season, and can suffer eye injuries as the larger drakes often grip the feathers around the eye area when wrestling. Breeding birds should be segregated for at least a week before collecting hatching eggs to avoid cross-bred young (unless you particularly want them).
Wintering Indian Runners
Actually this is an issue even in the UK, as our older birds really suffered in the unusually cold temperatures of last winter. I think they found the long spell of frozen ground very uncomfortable on their feet and it was very difficult to keep their water from freezing completely, so their feather condition ended up quite poor and their eyes appeared a little sore at times. It didn't help that I was very ill myself at the time. In hindsight I wish I'd put much more straw down in their yard. The only solution for the water was taking a kettle of boiling water down to thaw out a puddle for them.
Keeping Indian Runner pairs
Keeping Indian Runner pairs is fine, although a trio will always be better; should you lose one then the other will still have a companion.
Ducks discarding eggs in water
Ducks don't necessarily have the same discipline as hens when it comes to laying in nest boxes or inside their house at all. Quite often they can be discarded almost anywhere in the excitement of morning bathing. However, ducks always lay their eggs by about 10 am in the morning, so keeping them in their house until this time will force them to lay inside, ensuring that eggs aren't spoiled by being laid in water or stolen by predators such as crows. Duck houses need to be cleaned out regularly, as it's usually impossible to keep a nest box area/eggs clean of faeces otherwise.
