[Kathie]

Hi all,
We have 6 week old Indian Runners, can anyone tell me at what age they are ok to let sit in water without getting water logged?

Thanks

Kathie

[EJCTM]

Mine have had water to paddle in from a few days old, it has just got progressively deeper as they have got older and more feathered, i.e. starting at an inch and now they are fully feathered, it can be deep enough for them to dive.

If they are fully feathered (i.e lost the baby down, then I would give them some swimming water now. It does not have to be too deep, just enough to keep their feet off the bottom as they will enjoy this. They will always get out when they want to! You can put a brick in the container to help them in and out.

You can put them in the water, and if when you take them out you have to "squeeze" out the water from the feathers on the breast then they are not fully waterproof yet, but can still enjoy swimming. Mine still went into the water at that age, but it was much hotter weather then so they dried out quite fast.

What sort of water container do you have?
Did they hatch naturally with a duck mum or in an incubator? I ask this because a duck mum will waterproof them with her own oil gland.

In any event, the oil gland of a 6 weeker should be fully functioning and they will be using this when they preen. If you watch them, it is just above the tail and they rub their faces in it.

You can always supervise them at first until you are confident that they will/can get out after a while to dry out and preen.

[Kathie]

Hi EJCTM, They were hatched by a Light Sussex hen who is still looking after them.

 They have had water since 2 days old due to the fact that they paddled in their water bowl! So I introduced a 6ins long 1in deep pyrex dish which they loved, I continued to raid the kitchen cupboards using whatever I could find a little  larger each time.  Then the day came when they needed the washing up bowl, OH decided we should buy one for them and leave the kitchen alone (his domain).

Now they have a cut down plastic barrel about 4 ins deep and approx 3ft wide as well as the washing up bowl as there are 9 of them and they are quite tall now. The reason for  my question is that they tend to sit in the water for long periods of time and I had thought that Indian Runners were not too keen on water.

We have a large pond 6ft deep and 15ftx20ft which they cannot get into yet as it is a wild life pond with no access for them as yet.  We free range them for an hour each day, today is the first day I watched from a far and didn't follow them all around for safety reasons.

Just don't want anything to happen to them through my ignorance as although we have had chickens for a while this is our first foray into duck rearing.

Sorry to go for so long!!  And thanks again

[EJCTM]

Hi Kathie,

Sounds very much like my setup! I ran out of baking trays, lol!

Mine were also hatched by one of my hens who has made a fab mum yet again for me. However, she obviously cannot oil them!

At the same age, mine were fine on the depth and size of the water you have set out for them. They were sensible enough to get out when they had had enough. The only worry is if they cannot get out and get too cold, hence the brick. You can try an experiment, let the water fall half way deep (say maximum amount they can splash out by themselves), and then either call them with peas, or frighten them away, and if they CAN get out, they sure will! Then your mind can be set at rest about them being in the water.

As for not liking water - Mine did not like proper swimming at first when I put them onto the big pond (not yet properly in use as still a work in progress) as they panicked when there was nothing underneath their feet - it was hilarious trying to teach a duck to swim, lol. Anyway, they love dipping, diving and dunking in their various containers of water around the garden and have never stayed in too long and got cold. They will progress onto the big pond when I have built the decking and steps, etc. Mine free range all day when I am at work, so I am not around to make sure they don't drown etc, but they are fine and have been since day 1!!

It sounds like you are doing fine and all the right things so I wouldn't worry. At 6 weeks they are almost adults. They grow up so darn fast!