The Migratory/Ornamental Waterfowl INFO Thread

[chickenlisa]

That hen turning into a drake is so strange! Can they do that ( my biology and biochem background says NO!) but I have a Mandarin (almost a year old) who never feathered out like a male, but has the redder bill like his brothers, and faint coppery colored feathers where the sails would be...white and grayish brown feathers elsewhere- spots like the females...so strange. I only have 1 female (that I'm sure of) and 4 others who I've been thinking are all males. Someone told me he's the lowest male so maybe won't feather out like a normal drake would. I'll try to get a pic in a bit...I'm so stumped (but there isn't any egg laying from it either unless it's egg dumping in my setting hen's nestbox...)
Anyone know if females can feather like a drake and males feather out like a female?

 

[chickenlisa]

pics of that duck- they're starting to molt some I see...but the most (s)he did have was faint copper, flat sail feathers, not sticking up at all.

the one on the right...

 

[destinduck]

They can look like a male if the ovaries get damaged at some point. Also why the eggs are sometimes not fertile as well.

 

[chickenlisa]

even if it has looked like a female/male since day 1? It never looked completely like 1 or the other...

 

[KansasKid]

Haven't been on here in a while, just dropped in to say keep me in mind when your guys are ready to sell your hoodies. I have been working on my pond system and i think i'm just about ready for them. As soon as i get it finished and get more sandstone i'll post some pics.

Also found mandarin eggs a few days ago in a Ground Nest Box!
And i caught my mandarin hen that was loose!!
i ended up putting a nest box on the tree behind the pen one night, the next morning i woke up listening to my lady amherst through the window when i saw her go in. I ran out there in crocs and pajama pants, climbed the tree, and caught her. lol.

 

[KansasKid]

even if it has looked like a female/male since day 1? It never looked completely like 1 or the other...

It would still be possible for the bird to be a female and look like that from day one if something went wrong in development. Just like a bird can hatch with a curved bill, or color mutation, the ovaries might not have developed fully. since the ovaries control/produce the estrogen in females she would have had an obvious lack of it meaning that her levels of testosterone would have been slightly higher and would affect her physical appearance.

 

[chickenlisa]

Very interesting! Thanks for explaining...I just never thought of that happening in birds....makes sense!

 

[exoticduckluvr]

KK I will be selling out completely after breeding season but it will be pick only. my cancer is back with 2 maybe 3 tumors in 9 months after removal of the first one.
Will sell entire collection for half the market rate and include all the brand new this spring, last yrs new and older nesting boxes for free to 1 buyer take all.
I am not up to selling a pr at a time and shipping. I am on the MS Gulf Coast if anyone is interested. PM me your number if interested in buying all
also selling out Bantama Rumpless Arauacana tufted and clean faced but already have friends selling some for me at Farmers Market but I have lots of them and about 50 chicks at this moment. I let everyone breed not knowing the cancer was back and worse than before

 

[chickenlisa]

exoticduckluvr, I for one, am so sorry to hear this news. I do hope you can beat it and be able to enjoy birds again someday soon after...
I wish I lived close enough to help you out. I'm way up in NJ...but love the sounds of all your birds! I wish you could keep them all and have the good health and energy that it takes to enjoy them. Best wishes for that nasty disease to be gone! It runs in our family and I absolutely hate Cancer and what it has done to my loved ones. God Bless you..

 

[kangababy]

My Hoodies are laying like crazy.. some on the bator now, others under the broodie silkies and some under a hoodie! I should have some.. God willing of course.