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Quality of my WH Ducks?

post #1 of 17
6/25/12 at 3:54am
Thread Starter 
Would you consider these guys, pet, breeder, or exhibition Quality? The female is in the center and the other two are drakes, they are 8 weeks old. Photobucket Thanks
Edited by Lucky1 - 6/25/12 at 3:56am
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Living a perfect life!! loving boyfriend, great family and of coarse lots of chickens!!!!
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post #2 of 17
6/25/12 at 4:16am
8 weeks old, you need them to finish growing out to properly judge them. You can get a copy of the American Standard of Perfection (SOP), so you can read up on faults and specifics for your breed as well.

Celtic Oaks Farm LLC NPIP
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Celtic Oaks Farm LLC NPIP
Send us an EMAIL Like Us on Facebook Visit us on the web CELTICOAKS.COM
2013 waiting list ==== Our Swaps ==== Our Breeds (photos)
We CAN ship to VA (permit pending) & HI (permit required for each box)
Shipping live birds Article
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post #3 of 17
6/25/12 at 5:08am
Thread Starter 
Oh, they're not filled out yet? How long will that take? Also I would buy the book except that the only place I can find the newest one sells them for over $120!
Living a perfect life!! loving boyfriend, great family and of coarse lots of chickens!!!!
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Living a perfect life!! loving boyfriend, great family and of coarse lots of chickens!!!!
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post #4 of 17
6/25/12 at 5:15am
Uumm, no idea where you looked but go straight to American Poultry Association website and buyit there for $59.00

http://www.amerpoultryassn.com/APA_ShoppingMall3.htm

You said your ducks are 2 months old, this makes them young, notice how the two you call drakes look very much like the one you call your girl? When mature they won't look alike. The boys get lovely green heads on them, where the girls stay light tanish buff. Just looks alone yours seem to be three drakes.

Celtic Oaks Farm LLC NPIP
Send us an EMAIL Like Us on Facebook Visit us on the web CELTICOAKS.COM
2013 waiting list ==== Our Swaps ==== Our Breeds (photos)
We CAN ship to VA (permit pending) & HI (permit required for each box)
Shipping live birds Article
Reply

Celtic Oaks Farm LLC NPIP
Send us an EMAIL Like Us on Facebook Visit us on the web CELTICOAKS.COM
2013 waiting list ==== Our Swaps ==== Our Breeds (photos)
We CAN ship to VA (permit pending) & HI (permit required for each box)
Shipping live birds Article
Reply
post #5 of 17
6/25/12 at 6:04am

8 weeks old is too young to try to determine quality. You can sometimes find immediate DQ's but for the best evaluation you will need to wait awhile. So many things can change as they age which can make a huge difference in the show ring. Where did you buy these? 

 Crested Ducks                     Common Chicken Practices          Learn more about Avian Influenza

 

 

Helen: Daria, do you have to look at everything in such a negative light?

Daria: Could you possibly be referring to the harsh light of reality?

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 Crested Ducks                     Common Chicken Practices          Learn more about Avian Influenza

 

 

Helen: Daria, do you have to look at everything in such a negative light?

Daria: Could you possibly be referring to the harsh light of reality?

Reply
post #6 of 17
6/25/12 at 8:24am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin565 View Post

8 weeks old is too young to try to determine quality. You can sometimes find immediate DQ's but for the best evaluation you will need to wait awhile. So many things can change as they age which can make a huge difference in the show ring. Where did you buy these? 

I bought them from a guy at the saugeen fur and feather show this spring, i dont know his name but i am trying to find out. They wre the only WH's there(that i could find anyway) and they were in a brooder with other breeds. hmm.png

Living a perfect life!! loving boyfriend, great family and of coarse lots of chickens!!!!
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Living a perfect life!! loving boyfriend, great family and of coarse lots of chickens!!!!
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post #7 of 17
6/25/12 at 8:29am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by CelticOaksFarm View Post

Uumm, no idea where you looked but go straight to American Poultry Association website and buyit there for $59.00
http://www.amerpoultryassn.com/APA_ShoppingMall3.htm
You said your ducks are 2 months old, this makes them young, notice how the two you call drakes look very much like the one you call your girl? When mature they won't look alike. The boys get lovely green heads on them, where the girls stay light tanish buff. Just looks alone yours seem to be three drakes.

Yes, i admit that the do look alike in the picture, but in real life the female is bulkier and has a blackish bill while the drakes have a green bill with a black tip on the end. Also the females neck is only a little bit white, it is mixed with a gold coming from lower on her neck. big_smile.png I looked in amazon.com last week.

Living a perfect life!! loving boyfriend, great family and of coarse lots of chickens!!!!
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Living a perfect life!! loving boyfriend, great family and of coarse lots of chickens!!!!
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post #8 of 17
6/25/12 at 9:08am

Body shapes look nice to me for 8 weeks. Other than that, you have to wait for their adult plumage and won't really know for sure until they are completely filled out at about 10 months.

 

I don't make my final selection until ducks are over a year old.

 

They look like 3 drakes to me.  Sexing by bill color is unreliable.  My Appleyard ducks will have brown heads with their juvenile plumage that then lightens properly when they get their adult plumage, but there is no green tint to their dark heads.  I know that Appleyards and WH are a different color and different genetics, but you don't ever see green or black on the heads of the females, unless you are raising Cayugas or other black colored breeds.

Exhibition quality Blue Swedish Ducks and Gray Saddleback Pomeranian Geese,   Hatching eggs available in late winter and spring. NPIP

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Exhibition quality Blue Swedish Ducks and Gray Saddleback Pomeranian Geese,   Hatching eggs available in late winter and spring. NPIP

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post #9 of 17
6/25/12 at 12:52pm
Thread Starter 
You can sex WH's by the color of their bills when they are day olds, there are defiantly 2 males and 1 female. wink.png
Living a perfect life!! loving boyfriend, great family and of coarse lots of chickens!!!!
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Living a perfect life!! loving boyfriend, great family and of coarse lots of chickens!!!!
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post #10 of 17
6/25/12 at 12:59pm

bill color is not accurate any more. They have bred it out in favor of better traits.

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