BIG SURPRISE : Bali ducklings born from NON-crested Indian Runner parents

[chickengr]

I don't think you can get viable ducklings if both parents are crested. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

they work as araucanas do. if both ducks have huge crests about 25% of ducklings will die in shell. that's why only one parent should have huge crest. small crests are the best choice. they can produce ducklings with all sizes crests.

 

[Slothinc]

they work as araucanas do. if both ducks have huge crests about 25% of ducklings will die in shell. that's why only one parent should have huge crest. small crests are the best choice. they can produce ducklings with all sizes crests.

Oh cool! I didn’t realize that it worked like that. Do you have any idea if it also works this way in chickens with vaulted skulls?

 

[member 104844]

I don't think you can get viable ducklings if both parents are crested. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

This is from Metzer. All of the big hatcheries carry Cresteds. If they lost 25-50% in the shell, it wouldn’t work businesswise for Every hatchery to breed them. I think it’s time to start putting inaccurate information to rest.
Human babies are born with a hole in the skull so they can get through the birth canal…is it unethical to breed them? Jeez.
No research has been done to see if the hole in birds closes up or not with age. A lot of birds hatch with at least a hole or softened part of the back of the skull. A problem with it closing enough or in time to hatch is called Anencephaly. The vaulting effect described can happen in dogs with domed heads as well, so breeding Chihuahuas, Pugs, Pekinese and Bulldogs is also unethical. Dwarfism in Basset hounds and hairless genes in both dogs and cats…etc. I could go a lot since breeding IS selecting traits ‘mutations’

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

This is from Metzer. All of the big hatcheries carry Cresteds. If they lost 25-50% in the shell, it wouldn’t work businesswise for Every hatchery to breed them. I think it’s time to start putting inaccurate information to rest.
Human babies are born with a hole in the skull so they can get through the birth canal…is it unethical to breed them? Jeez.
No research has been done to see if the hole in birds closes up or not with age. A lot of birds hatch with at least a hole or softened part of the back of the skull. A problem with it closing enough or in time to hatch is called Anencephaly. The vaulting effect described can happen in dogs with domed heads as well, so breeding Chihuahuas, Pugs, Pekinese and Bulldogs is also unethical. Dwarfism in Basset hounds and hairless genes in both dogs and cats…etc. I could go a lot since breeding IS selecting traits ‘mutations’

I never said it was unethical. Sorry to unwittingly release a rant. I was only seeking information by the way, do you sell Pilgrim geese? I've been looking for some. Thanks

 

[member 104844]

I never said it was unethical. Sorry to unwittingly release a rant. I was only seeking information by the way, do you sell Pilgrim geese? I've been looking for some. Thanks

You’re right, it was just a response to some of the other posts and info about Cresteds that is very intense for what are frankly, my prettiest ducks. I wouldn’t want to not experience my Cresteds because of inaccurate information that just gets parroted on and on.
I have a pair of Pilgrims and that works for me. I love my gander but springtime is hell lol. He goes after my gelding, all of my other birds, my dogs, my kids and my husband…nowhere near their nest! They only lay about 40 eggs a year, and less than half develop and hatch. I guess that why they’re threatened. I collected 7 this year (no more fits in the bator with a handful of reference duck eggs). Candled at 7 days and 3 look good, one questionable but I’ll candle again at 10 days.
Last year (their first breeding year) I only incubated about 12 eggs, only 4 developed and hatched, 3 females and one male. She’s since laid two more eggs I’m leaving in her nest to see if she’ll brood.
So I do have Pilgrims, but who knows if I’ll be successful at goslings

 

[chickengr]

Oh cool! I didn’t realize that it worked like that. Do you have any idea if it also works this way in chickens with vaulted skulls?

I have never had a problem with vaulted skull chickens (silkies).

 

[member 104844]

Had two hatch today, first one from an egg I’m not sure which duck laid (was hoping my Cresteds were finally fertilized as I’ve been waiting five months for them to play with boys, they fake mate eachother all the time). I was not sure what color it’ll was at hatch and you can see the progression. I think I’ve settled on it being Blue Bibbed, which is only possible from my Blue drake on White, but it’s not Crested.
Sibling hatched a few hours later, Cayuga from a grey egg (I have Cayugas that only lay white eggs).
I’d be interested in experience of Cresteds hatching without crests % and if they carry the genes to next generations without a visible crest?

 

[Papaye]

Hi.

How are your Cresteds doing @Papaye ?

I have given them away : I was not confident enough to keep the crested girls (I was afraid the drakes would hurt them by pulling on their crests), and I prefered to get rid of the crested drakes too...

I have gifted my most beautiful crested drake (the Black Bibbed one on the pictures) to my parents' friend, and my mom was told that people stop to look at him when they pass by his street!
(Boy had a really big crest in his juvenile plumage, but I don't have a recent picture of him to see how he looks now...)

I’ve been trying for the Crest and no such luck lol…my 3 Crested ladies don’t let themselves get mated by the boys (frustrating!!). They fake-mate eachother constantly and any missing feathers are from another duck.

Huuuuh... I actually find it funny, because my girls love to seduce the boys, even when they start to miss feathers on their heads!

My hens "mate" each others too, and I don't know why they do, because they have several HORNY drakes to keep them company...
Besides, I would add my ratio is not the best : 1 drake for 3 hens. So, I really don't understand why the hens still choose to jump each others... (I would understand if they had no drake to satisfy them!!)

...Just to know : when they (pretend to) mate, do your girls pull on each others' crest?

So far they act just like my non Cresteds and if anything, are more eye catching with sweet, goofy personalities than non Cresteds.

Really?
Oooh... that's interesting to know!

My parents' friend has told my mom the Runners I have gifted him have started to be more friendly a while back... (They even play with a DOG!!)
I was king of surprised, because the ones I have kept home are obedient, but not so frienly (they still are cowardly)...

Now, I have to wonder if this friend's ducks' personality is not, in fact, affected by only one's... which would be then (probably?) the crested drake, that would be friendlier than other Runners BECAUSE of the fact he is crested...?
(Or not... I don't know...?)

I also visited a goose farm in Spain with wild geese and one had a Crest! I asked if she was injured and he said no, it’s just feathers and there’s nothing wrong with her.

Hmmm... I am no expert on geese, but in France, we have the Normandy goose... including the Crested Normandy goose!

Worthwhile to see if the ‘hole in the head’ rumors are during and after hatch, and close up mostly or completely with age.

Huh? They do?
...Crested ducks' "hole in the head" actually close as the ducks age?!

I just ordered a White Crested male to help my girls along, but he’ll just be spoiled for five months until he needs to perform pictured with my two Saxony males that are the Blue mallard pattern I want.

Well... he will certainly be able to mate with the girl BEFORE Fall...
...good luck!
Do you plan to hatch his ducklings in 2025?

And my lovely three Crested ladies, one small poof, one large poof and one double poof.

They are certainly cute!!

 

[member 104844]

Thanks for answering @Papaye !

I have gifted my most beautiful crested drake (the Black Bibbed one on the pictures) to my parents' friend, and my mom was told that people stop to look at him when they pass by his street!
(Boy had a really big crest in his juvenile plumage, but I don't have a recent picture of him to see how he looks now...)

Awww sad but he sounds like he’s at a great home. He did have a very nice crest for being from non crested parents. The internet lore was that big crests only came from visibly crested parentS (both).
My mom bought my Cresteds from the feed store, supplied by Hoover Hatchery. I had been calling several stores in the area for months: hey, did you get ducks in? Do they have poofs on their head?? (Because any idiot can go look and see crests, if you ask what kind of ducks they are you get a shrug and a ‘I don’t know’. 3/4 were female, I think because people are scared to purchase females with a crest, but tbh they are really good egg layers!
They are also very personable and sweet (because of the crest? I can’t say definitively) - see below. Everyone that sees them think they are cute and/or hilarious. Some construction workers called them the Einstein ducks

My hens "mate" each others too, and I don't know why they do, because they have several HORNY drakes to keep them company...
Besides, I would add my ratio is not the best : 1 drake for 3 hens. So, I really don't understand why the hens still choose to jump each others... (I would understand if they had no drake to satisfy them!!)

...Just to know : when they (pretend to) mate, do your girls pull on each others' crest?

I also have plenty of drakes and females, and I have seen girls do it a lot in the pool. I have also seen boys do it to eachother, but that involves chasing on the ground and rarely happens compared to the girls. I think for the girls it’s practice while the boys it’s more a dominance thing.
I have one large crested girl that gets feathers pulled right from the middle. She never acts like it bothers her. But usually as with all ducks, it’s feathers down on the neck that get grabbed and unless she’s trying to get away, nothing happens to them.
My boys tend to chase certain females, especially broodies that come out for their daily bathing. I keep them locked away with their nests, but they choose to go outside with the boys anyway, have their fun and come back to the nest after a few minutes. My cresteds are not broody and I haven’t seen them get chased or even mated by the boys. I’ve only recently gotten a few fertilized from them and hatched a Blue Bibbed from an unknown egg (only possible my Blue drake on Crested White, but no crest at all no matter how hopeful I am lol). So I guess at some point they are mated, maybe when they’re caught in the pool? but overall the boys ignore them or push them away from resources.

Now, I have to wonder if this friend's ducks' personality is not, in fact, affected by only one's... which would be then (probably?) the crested drake, that would be friendlier than other Runners BECAUSE of the fact he is crested...?
(Or not... I don't know...?)

I have a handful of different ones (hatchery shipped, incubated by me, hatched by a hen) and can compare ‘breeds/colors’ but I can’t say for sure what makes a friendly duck. The Cresteds are hatchery and feed store, and they are super friendly. My Cayuga drake (hatchery) is a big doofus, he’s not sweet but he doesn’t run away so I can pick him up anywhere. Some Cayuga ducklings are hyperactive (incubated and hatchery), my Buffs are sweet ducklings but as adults not friendly and have to be cornered, etc. I aim for medium size, dual purpose, hardy ducks that can forage and predator wary. So that combo has to be attributed to husbandry and situation vs ‘breed’. The breed descriptions are okay, but likely adapted from a hatchery experience of young ducklings, not any long term study.

Huh? They do?
...Crested ducks' "hole in the head" actually close as the ducks age?!

This is what I would be curious about. Hatcheries don’t keep their ducks long enough to study development chick vs adult. The crests are what they are at hatch, not that they get bigger with age - so it’s feasible that Cresteds hatch with a hole that later closes up some or completely. So ducklings with neurological issues should be recognized and removed from breeding.
I had to cull 1 of my four because what started as blindness (maybe deafness too, not sure) developed into a neurological tic and neck issues. Beyond breeding, my ducks all free range and this duck would have been picked on by other birds or been predator food. I culled and did a necropsy to see what the skull was like.
Thankfully, I haven’t had an adult Crested loss to compare to. If it happens, though, I will definitely necropsy to see and learn. I think with this particular duckling, it had been normal at hatch, but as it grew, the brain tissue was expanding and the bone was not, pushing on the brain and causing blindness, neurological issues.

Well... he will certainly be able to mate with the girl BEFORE Fall...
...good luck!
Do you plan to hatch his ducklings in 2025?

I definitely want ducklings, whether he’s a he or a she. Hatchery sexed but mistakes can be made. So far it has been fine and developing normally. He has 2 Saxony males same age and some Splash ducklings I hatched that are three weeks older to hang with. I’m hoping my non Crested ducks won’t ignore him like they do the Crested ladies…I can’t account for duck vibes and what makes them attractive or rejected lol