Proud Cayuga owners!!!!

[Garrisonkidsduo2]

I am kind of new to ducks i have had them 2 years and I am still learning about them. i did just get cayugas about 7 months ago. Which i love the breed but the first thing I wondered was are they boy or girl. There are several ways to tell by about 2 or 3 months you can hear the difference. The females will Quack and it is loud and clear. The males will sound like they have a cold because theirs is more of a honk and it is raspy. The males tail curl at about 5 or 6 months. but there is a video which yes I have watch very good and i have learned how to vent sex my ducks. You may not like Metzer farms I know people have their own hatchery choice but it is very informative. Take a look. Thank you Metzer farm.

 

[inthesticks]

My Cauga is 9 months old. My Mallards are already laying but she has not yet... at least I don't think so... the eggs I am getting are green and I was told Cayugas lay black eggs? When do you think she will start laying?

2 of my cayugas lay green eggs (least they did this fall when they started) They have stopped now. They are hatchery ducks so I'm sure somewhere down the line there has been some slip ups in the breeding I'm sure.

Their eggs are suppose to be darker (almost black) @ the beginning of the season/yr & get lighter & lighter as you get closer to the end of the laying season. This will be my first season start with them laying so we'll see how the egg color goes.

As for if she's laying?? Catch her and check her vent area, it will be a lot bigger & her hips will be really wide apart. I had 3 girls from my first group of cayugas & just gave one away to someone up the road because she would lay EVERYWHERE!!! & hide them good too - once she hid about 30 eggs in this prickly bush section. She lays an almost white egg

 

[SD Bird Lady]

My two little girls just got their first swim in the tub (2 weeks). They were very adventurous even diving under the water and swimming across like a torpedo. My last batch wasn't nearly as into the water as these two. I started with 3 but the little crested ducky didn't make it (I did not order crested but she was thrown in the mix). That is why I always order atleast one more than my goal since things do happen.

 

[gryeyes]

Their eggs are impressive, with those first almost black eggs, changing over to lighter and lighter until they qre nearly white as the duck lays more. When she takes a break from laying, the next first few eggs will be black again. It's totally an overlay; the shell material itself is not black at all. You can actually scrub the color off if you wanted to do so.

Dunno why you would, but....

 

[tbitt]

It's totally an overlay; the shell material itself is not black at all. You can actually scrub the color off if you wanted to do so.

Dunno why you would, but....

I notice that also, Isn't that interesting?
I hope you don't mind grayeyes, that I'm sharing these (I don't have any of my own to share

or I would)


But, this is a great example of the different colors you can get.





There is so much to learn about these birds. I am glad this thread was started to people can see what they are and what they should be....and not get freaked out when the eggs colors change, or when the feather coloring starts to fade.

 

[inthesticks]

Hopefully when my 2 girls start laying again, I'll get eggs w/ the dark film on it for a bit. I have a young pair I kept out of a hatch in Dec & the lil lady should start up around April or so, can't wait to see what I'll get w/ 2nd generation babies.

 

[Duck Love07 AR]

Pics of my new babies, they are a week old. and boy does the lighter one cry! lol she has a voice on her. they are named, Light weight, Quiver, and Wraith(someone asked me to name one after them ) i think Light Weight might have eye worms and Wraith has a patch of feathers missing. i know why i got them so cheep now... it makes me scared for them.

 

[SD Bird Lady]

Pics of my new babies, they are a week old. and boy does the lighter one cry! lol she has a voice on her. they are named, Light weight, Quiver, and Wraith(someone asked me to name one after them ) i think Light Weight might have eye worms and Wraith has a patch of feathers missing. i know why i got them so cheep now... it makes me scared for them.

They are very cute...what are eye worms?

 

[Garrisonkidsduo2]

I have 2 8 month old females, 2 male that are 3 weeks old, and 3 females that are 3 weeks old that i just got in the male and a couple from a breeder. i have to get pictures of them tomorrow and post.

 

[gryeyes]

 i have to get pictures of them tomorrow and post.

Yes, you do!