Sexing silver appleyard ducklings

[Oregon Blues]

If Appleyards are to the SOP, they both have a dark bean on the tip of the bill. Drakes have yellow to greenish yellow bill. Ducks have yellowish orange to brownish orange bill.

I don't remember at what age the bill color difference was noticeable, but it was well before you could feather sex.

I've seen enough Appleyards that aren't to the SOP, that I urge caution about using the bill color to sex young Appleyards.

 

[vermontgal]

I have four miniature (bantam) Appleyards from Holderreads that are now just shy of 2 weeks old. Two of them have bills that are mostly greenish, and two of them have bills that are yellow with a brown tip. I'm very curious to find out whether I have a mix of males and females!

Here they are at about 1 week old. The one on the right has a darker bill than the closest one on the left. We shall see! I tried to vent sex them but they are too small and I was afraid of hurting them.

 

[DoesItQuack]

Miniature Silver Appleyards are different genetically, not just in size... They were bred to "look like" the full size counterparts, but from different breeding stock. I don't think their ducklings are supposed to look like the standard-sized "black mohawk stripe" ducklings, but I don't know what the variation is offhand. Good luck with them!

 

[ekeyser73]

I have a picture in my profile of a duck and a silkie.....could you tell me if the duck is a silver appleyard and also a female by its appearance?

 

[WVMHP]

I purchased 12 "top show quality" Silver Appleyard ducklings from Holderread's this spring. Try though I might, I was unable to discern any reliable difference until they were 10-weeks old. At that point, the males heads began to darken. That darkening began at the base of the bill. The drakes looked like someone had put black eye-liner around the bases of their bills. The dark color spread from there. Hope that helps!

 

[WVMHP]

How do you like your Miniature Appleyards? I've never had bantam ducks. I'm thinking about ordering some for next spring but am concerned they'll be noisier than the standard Appleyards, Cayugas, and Welsh Harlequins that I've had in the past. What is your experience? Also, how cold-hardy are they compared to the large ducks. We can get brutally cold here in winter, as we're over 9000ft altitude.

 

[justthe5ofus]

Hi There I know this is kind of off the subject but I am wondering how I can go about getting some silver apple yard show quality hatching eggs? Please let me know thank you

 

[MonTXChickens]

Holderread Waterfowl. Done for the year though. You'll have to get them after the first of the year.

 

[AngelinaH]

I too have Appleyards and now have offspring. I wish to keep a few and sell the rest. I sat all morning watching them. I have some that are 8 weeks and some that are 4 weeks. It just left me more confused trying to to figure out who's a drake and who's a hen.
Does anyone know if like a muscovy the drakes have tree trunk legs and the hen thinner legs?

 

[3bird]

Sometimes the Appleyards will express whiter colors. These ducklings don't have the black mohawk but do have the black colors on the tail. These whiter Appleyards again won't meet breed standards but they are very beautiful! They look like they have snowy owl plumage. They have the same characteristics as the standard Appleyard but with whiter plumage.

I know this is an old thread, but I'm wondering if any of you are still around and might chime in with how things panned out. Two of our silver Appleyards were completely white/yellow. Below is a picture of them a couple days post hatch. They had no black anywhere (no dark mohawk or tail feathers).

They are now over four weeks post hatch, and these two still have no dark markings on them at all--just the same whitish-yellow, while their brothers and sisters are all developing lots of coloration. You can see the difference in coloration toward the end of this video. That video was at just about four weeks post hatch.

We are so curious about these two. Any more experienced folks care to share your experiences?

Thanks!