What are "duck feathers" on an EE cockerel?

[hollymamma]

I have seen a few posts that mention what to look for when trying to figure out if young chickens are pullets or cockerels. What is meant by cockerels developing duck feathers? I used to raise Muscovy ducks...so I've seen lots of duck feathers. Thanks!!

 

[The Moonshiner]

I have no idea. I'm asking what that means when someone says to look for duck feathers forming because they only show up on cockerels.

I'd say it means to get off of Facebook

 

[AinaWGSD]

Um...I've seen it here on these forums. Okay...I'll just forget it. Oh well.

Do you happen to have a link to where you've seen this? Maybe context would help us figure it out? I've never heard "duck feathers" in regards to chickens.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Um...I've seen it here on these forums. Okay...I'll just forget it. Oh well.

Come on, don't be like that. We can figure this out.
I've never heard anything like what you said and I have no clue what it would mean.
I've never heard it on this forum so a link would be awesome. There is definitely some confusion somewhere.
When talking about cockerels getting certain type of feathers is hackle and saddle feathers but honestly it usually easy to tell sex before those ever come in. I'd say that's what was meant but idk how it got to "duck feathers"
With a lot of specifically EE cockerels they tend to get red patches on their shoulders earlier on which pullets don't get. Still I wouldn't know how those turned into being called "duck feathers"

 

[AinaWGSD]

Do you happen to have a link to where you've seen this? Maybe context would help us figure it out? I've never heard "duck feathers" in regards to chickens.

maybe they're referring to the duckwing pattern?

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Chickens growing duck feathers? Now I've heard everything.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Right above I think someone nailed the correct term...duckwing pattern. Thanks for looking. Still waiting on what that is.

Not my photos, but these are examples of a silver duckwing hen and rooster, and silver and gold duckwing hens.

 

[hollymamma]

maybe they're referring to the duckwing pattern?

Yes...that's probably it. What is a duckwing pattern? Thanks.

 

[sourland]

Never heard the term 'duck feathers' applied to chickens. Hopefully someone will comment and edify the lot of us.

Just did an online search on 'duck feathers chickens', and the only hit I got was this thread.

 

[NatJ]

I'm asking what that means when someone says to look for duck feathers forming because they only show up on cockerels.

I would expect "saddle feathers" in a sentence like that, if someone is talking about chickens.

I've seen it here on these forums.

There is a "duck" section of the forums. Could you have seen it there?


I've seen some badly wrong things that get blamed on autocorrect or autocomplete or talk-to-text features. It could be something like that. (Like how "pullet" for a female chicken gets turned into "pulley" which is a very different kind of object.)