Indian Runner Duck

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Indian Runner Duck
Fawn & White Indian Runner Duck
The Perfect Indian Runner Duck
THE BRITISH WATERFOWL STANDARDS BOOK 1999
Feature	Drake and Duck
Head	lean and racy looking with a bill definitely wedge shaped fitting into the scull flat on top
Carriage	Upright, active, nearly perpendicular when at attention, exited or trained for the show pen. Otherwise and on the move the body may be inclined between 50- 80 degrees above horizontal.
Neck	Long, slender, in line with the body. The muscular part should be well marked, rounded and stand out from the windpipe, hard feather helps to accentuate this. Neck to body ratio should be 1:2
Body	Long, narrow and cylindrical, slightly flattened at the shoulders;funnelling gradually from body to neck.
Feathers	Tight, smooth and hard
Tail	When alert the tail and body line should be straight.
Wings	Small in relation to the size of the bird, tightly packed to the body and crossing at the rump.
Legs, feet and webs	Legs set far apart to allow opright carriage.
Eyes	Full, alert, bright and so high on the head that the upper part seems to be above the line of the scull.

The Indian Runner Duck is a favourite among poultry lovers. They are native to the Indian-sub-continent and Malaysia. The breed, it is thought, was first brought to Europe, via Whitehaven in Cumbria in the United Kingdom, by a sea captain in 1850. Later imports were also made and by the end of the 19th century the breed’s popularity had spread considerably. In the ‘Encyclopaedia of Poultry’ by J. Stephen Hicks, it is stated that the true Indian Runner Duck were developed by a Mr J. Donald of Wigton, Cumbria and it is from his original flock that the present day stock descend from.

[edit] Description

An extraordinary looking duck, it is characterized by an extremely short Femora, the thigh or upper bones of the legs, with consequence that their feet are not brought, as other ducks, under the middle of the body, but are placed much farther behind. This means that to bring the duck's centre of gravity over the point of support (its feet), the duck must assume an erect attitude, like that of a penguin (It has been classed mistakenly in the past as a Penguin Duck, such a breed being long extinct). In size they can be up to 14” tall and can weigh around 3 to 5 lb, the drakes being heavier than the ducks. They are quiet and known for their excellent egg laying production (up to 365 per year, or one per day), but often go broody. the eggs are white, off-white, blue, or light green in colour and around the size of a hen’s egg (approximately 2½ oz or 70.88g) The breed does not require the same food intake as the larger breeds, and the Indian runner likes nothing better than foraging for tidbits amongst ground cover and foliage, this will include a lot of slugs and worms and insects found in the grass and streams. It will also include greens, such as grass and duck-weed and with this in mind are also bred on farms for their natural pest control abilities. The birds are bred in many colours, including, white, black, grey, chocolate, fawn, fawn & white (pencilled), tan and blue. Although these ducks have small bodies and are not bred as table birds, many regard them as being well flavoured, rather similar to the taste of wild duck. The breed is not suitable for any large scale meat production.