Not that I have seen so far... if you're trying to sex them by bill color, it doesn't work... bill color isn't gender specific for those until after they're voice sexable, male bills *usually* turn green or yellow once they go through their adult molt...
Some drakes are great fathers, just some tend to be *jealous* of any others closer to their mate than them...
Good deal... better to be safe than sorry, imo... :)
But he may be wanting to sleep near mama and trying to push the babies away at night... I would at least try some observing if possible in the evenings, or just settingva ring of poultry wire around her and her babies, just to be safe...
Yup, unfortunately...
Any kind of trauma, head or...
I am so sorry! :hugs
They were fine yesterday? Do you separate mama and babies from the drake at night? Some drakes are fine with babies, some are not... and some are good with them during the day when they have space and run around, but have issues when confined close at night... could he have...
Not at all... :D
Actually was wondering if you might have oversized Call ducks as Calls hatch 24-26 days and Mallards *should be* 28... high temps in your area could have started development early and pushed up the hatch time...
Might be more of an optical illusion, but the lines between the yellow and dark on Muscovies is clearer and yellow is brighter/cleaner... *usually*...
There's exceptions to every rule, lol...
That down pattern is just basic wildtype pattern/color... it's common across many duck breeds... if yours hatched at 24 days, there's no Muscovy...
Btw, do you have any good, clear pics of the parents? I am curious that they only took 24 days...
Some just don't handle the hormone rushes as well as others, lol... just be careful he doesn't breed your chickens...
But they're cute! And I do agree... unless one doesn't have ethics... someone near me was always selling Swede/Muscovy crosses, but never mentioned they were mules... :(
Lol... she knows what Muscovies can look like, Kathy (casportpony) has Muscovies... she wanted to know what color specifically yours are in case the cross *could* cause same coloration as Snowy... ;)
Gender won't be evident til at least 6-8 weeks old, females will quack before males will get their adult plumage (at about 4 months old)... but yes, the males will still have green heads...
If you aren't planning to sell until they are sexable, then IF they are crosses, it should definitely be...
These are Snowy Mallards...
And as juveniles they all tend to have dark heads...
If they grow out like these, then they are Snowys... I am not versed in Mules to say *for certain* they are not crossed mules, but they look like Snowy to me... are you planning to sell them anytime soon or...