A good place for info on white crested ducks?

[Duck mommy 2019]

All domestic ducks, except Muscovy, are from Mallards including White Crested. Males usually get drake curls but not always. I had a drake who didn’t get his curl one year.
Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks mentions White Crested but more information specific to them is hard to find. I did some research on them because I have a white duck with a crest who I got as an adult from a friend. I think mine has turned out to be a Silver Swedish with a crest rather than a White Crested which is an ancient Dutch breed. Anyway, I couldn’t find much information when I looked. Duck mommy 2019 is correct. The crest is a mutation which causes a slight gap in the skull and can cause neurological problems. It is supposed to be a dominant trait and only birds who are heterozygous (one Crested allele) are supposed to live. Statistically then, if you breed two Crested ducks 1/4 of the offspring die, 1/2 have crests, and 1/4 do not. I say supposedly because I have not gotten any crested ducklings from my duck crossed with a non-crested drake (1/2 should have had crests). As for mating you need to have your ratio correct or you risk your females being injured or killed. I tried keeping two drakes with four girls and it ended badly. You really don’t want to go there. I have read that drakes sometimes grab the crest, which would be really bad, but mine does not. He does have five other girls to choose from though. I hope this helps you. Good luck! This is my girl.
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if you have just one crested girl and make sure she is monitored daily, it’ll be fine. but all the girls being crested won’t work with a drake

 

[Debby Duck]

hi, i know a lot about crested ducks. it’s actually a very bad genetic issue. please COMPLETE seperate the drakes and hens so they cannot try to mate, hatch eggs or anything else. sadly most of the babies will die while hatching and the others risk genetic issues as well. and the crests are a gap in their skull, so even mating could kill the girls (drakes grab on to the girls head when mating)

Thanks for you response. I actually know about the genetic issue. So I decided not to have them mate at all. No babies. I want to know though, how long are they inheat? Can I tell? And if they stay close to home, as they do now where I can watch them, is separating them at night enough?

Right now they don't want do go in the lake beyond wading, they spend most of their time in our yard. I don't know if that will change. Which is another question I had. I heard some breeds tend to do that.

 

[KaleIAm]

All domestic ducks, except Muscovy, are from Mallards including White Crested. Males usually get drake curls but not always. I had a drake who didn’t get his curl one year.
Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks mentions White Crested but more information specific to them is hard to find. I did some research on them because I have a white duck with a crest who I got as an adult from a friend. I think mine has turned out to be a Silver Swedish with a crest rather than a White Crested which is an ancient Dutch breed. Anyway, I couldn’t find much information when I looked. Duck mommy 2019 is correct. The crest is a mutation which causes a slight gap in the skull and can cause neurological problems. It is supposed to be a dominant trait and only birds who are heterozygous (one Crested allele) are supposed to live. Statistically then, if you breed two Crested ducks 1/4 of the offspring die, 1/2 have crests, and 1/4 do not. I say supposedly because I have not gotten any crested ducklings from my duck crossed with a non-crested drake (1/2 should have had crests). As for mating you need to have your ratio correct or you risk your females being injured or killed. I tried keeping two drakes with four girls and it ended badly. You really don’t want to go there. I have read that drakes sometimes grab the crest, which would be really bad, but mine does not. He does have five other girls to choose from though. I hope this helps you. Good luck! This is my girl.
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Adorable poof!

 

[Debby Duck]

they don’t really go in season. they’ll mate more in the spring but usually continue (just less) in the winter months. you can make two coops if you’d like, and keep the boys together and the girls together.

Now they only go in the coop at night. Do they mate during the day enough that I would have hard time watching and stopping them? That probably sounds crazy, but I won't know if I don't ask. Like will there be a lot of noise where I'd know something is up?

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

Now they only go in the coop at night. Do they mate during the day enough that I would have hard time watching and stopping them? That probably sounds crazy, but I won't know if I don't ask. Like will there be a lot of noise where I'd know something is up?

mine are pretty quiet when mating. but yes they will do it a lot in the spring especially with multiple boys

 

[Debby Duck]

mine are pretty quiet when mating. but yes they will do it a lot in the spring especially with multiple boys

Yikes. I might not be able to keep them from mating during the day when they're together. Ugh, so far my odds are not looking good.

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

Yikes. I might not be able to keep them from mating during the day when they're together. Ugh, so far my odds are not looking good.

i would say the easiest and best thing to do would be to find new homes for your girls. it’ll be way easier to find nice loving homes for girls, sadly people don’t want the boys. then if you keep just the boys they’ll get along good being with no girls.

 

[Debby Duck]

i would say the easiest and best thing to do would be to find new homes for your girls. it’ll be way easier to find nice loving homes for girls, sadly people don’t want the boys. then if you keep just the boys they’ll get along good being with no girls.

Yes someone suggested that to me once before. Maybe it was you . I've been trying to come up with solutions while still waiting to see if I get anymore females to start quacking. But I fear the newest sound I'm hearing is not a girl. I'm not certain yet. Not that it'll help, it would be 3:3 instead of 4:2. But I figure I should wait till I have all possible girls ID'd before rehoming any. I'm really nervous though. I don't want to make a mistake! What if I think I'm keeping all boys and one ends up being a girl!

What about the personalities of yours? Are they nervous Nellies like mine are, and is there any chance they out grow that? I've read some people calling them calm ducks, all cuddly and all. Not mine. They're afraid of their own shadow. And don't like being petted.

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

Yes someone suggested that to me once before. Maybe it was you . I've been trying to come up with solutions while still waiting to see if I get anymore females to start quacking. But I fear the newest sound I'm hearing is not a girl. I'm not certain yet. Not that it'll help, it would be 3:3 instead of 4:2. But I figure I should wait till I have all possible girls ID'd before rehoming any. I'm really nervous though. I don't want to make a mistake! What if I think I'm keeping all boys and one ends up being a girl!

What about the personalities of yours? Are they nervous Nellies like mine are, and is there any chance they out grow that? I've read some people calling them calm ducks, all cuddly and all. Not mine. They're afraid of their own shadow. And don't like being petted.

mine are super sweet and cuddly. when they are “teenagers” they always go through a stage where they don’t wanna be picked up or anything though. drakes are the best, my boys have gotten even more cuddly as they’ve gotten older

 

[KaleIAm]

I have a crested pekin. She's a delightful duck that my life revolves around. She was abandoned on a pond and I adopted her at about 1-1.5 years of age - but we don't really know. It was spring, she was already laying, the vet said she was young. She was incredibly afraid of me at first. I've had her for over 5 years, and she loves me as much as a non imprinted duck can - I believe. She's delightful. She comes when I call. We have conversations in quack. She head bobs when she sees me coming to the aviary. She loves to be very near me, but doesn't enjoy being touched. I'm not offended by this. Since becoming adults my ducks don't even touch each other, unless they are very cold or mating.

I haven't had imprinted ducks, so I'm just assuming this, but I think imprinted ducks might be the only ducks that are cuddly and want to be touched. @Duck mommy 2019 your ducks are imprinted on you, right? My ducks tolerate being touched sometimes, and in some places on their bodies. Tolerate is key. So I don't push it. And sometimes they touch me. Mostly I just enjoy what they naturally offer me. And when I want to cuddle I go inside and scoop up my cat.

There are ways I have found to make my ducks more comfortable with me. It isn't unique to ducks, I've used it with feral cats, too. Basically let your ducks teach you what is scary to them and then avoid doing it. My ducks didn't like it when I walked directly at them. So I walked in huge circles around them. My ducks don't like being startled. So I always talk as I approach them. If it makes your ducks run away or jump or act uncomfortable don't do it. Then spend a lot of time with them being low to the ground. Try not to look directly at them, as predators stare at their prey before attacking. Instead look near them and see them in your peripheral vision. Sit on a blanket and read a book. Do some knitting. Garden with them. Be there but don't focus on them. And, get them to associate you with delicious things! When they see you coming you want them to think, "oh yay here comes the person who brings yummy!" They might never snuggle you, but you can develop a very special close relationship with them.