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

[Papaye]

Hi.

I just took some pictures, so...

...Here are my two 47-48-days-old Light Dusky Crested Indian Runners (at the center of the picture) :

The drakelet almost doesn't look like he has a crest... but he does : it just is very, VERY small.

And here are my younger, 38-39-days-old Bali ducklings :

...Or the Bibbed Black Crested Indian Runner drakelet (at the center of the picture) :

...The Trout Bali drakelet (at the center of the picture) :

And then, the Double-Crested, Light Dusky Runner ducklet (at the center of the picture) :

...They still don't seem to have any health issues or whatever, so I think they will live a good life if I can give them away...
Otherwise, I will have to kill the drakelets (and then, eat them), but... I just REALLY don't want to...

 

[The Coop Crew]

Okay but the crests are so cute

 

[chickengr]

I finally hatched 3 crested ones!

 

[Luv Ducks]

Hi.

I just took some pictures, so...

...Here are my two 47-48-days-old Light Dusky Crested Indian Runners (at the center of the picture) :

View attachment 3877261

The drakelet almost doesn't look like he has a crest... but he does : it just is very, VERY small.

View attachment 3877264

And here are my younger, 38-39-days-old Bali ducklings :

View attachment 3877269

...Or the Bibbed Black Crested Indian Runner drakelet (at the center of the picture) :

View attachment 3877270

...The Trout Bali drakelet (at the center of the picture) :

View attachment 3877271

And then, the Double-Crested, Light Dusky Runner ducklet (at the center of the picture) :

View attachment 3877273

...They still don't seem to have any health issues or whatever, so I think they will live a good life if I can give them away...
Otherwise, I will have to kill the drakelets (and then, eat them), but... I just REALLY don't want to...

View attachment 3877283

How could you tell that yours were drakes? I have one that is just a few weeks old and I think its bill is turning greenish which I think makes it a drake. Is that how you told? I was just curious, your ducks are beautiful!!

 

[Papaye]

Hi.

Okay but the crests are so cute

They are, but some are weird.

The Double-Crested, Light Dusky duckling has a crest on either side of her head... which make her look like if she actually has horns.
...I call her "La Chèvre" - meaning "The Goat" - because of it...

And the Crested, Bibbed Black drakelet actually has three crests on the head...!
...For the time being, he kind of makes me think of Elvis PRESLEY... (The hair...)

I finally hatched 3 crested ones!

Oh yeah?

You wanted them so bad, so : congratulations.

Don't forget to post pictures when you take some!! And to give as many details as you can!

How could you tell that yours were drakes? I have one that is just a few weeks old and I think its bill is turning greenish which I think makes it a drake. Is that how you told? I was just curious, your ducks are beautiful!!

Hmmm... thank you!

Do you have a picture of your duckling...?

You can voice sex them pretty early in their life : if the duckling starts to quack (big voice), then she is a girl; but if the duckling is still peeping at four/five-weeks-old, then he is probably a boy.

(Nevertheless, in rare cases apparently, voice sexing can be inaccurate, and so, misleading : indeed, one of my last year ducklings was quacking like a girl until around 3-months-old... and he eventually stopped because he actually was a boy!)

Also, depending on their colour, you can easily tell their gender by their rump's colour once the feathers start to emerge from there.

For Grey/Mallard coloured ducks, for example - when the feathers are emerging :
- if the rump is turning black/blueish, then your duckling is a drakelet,
- if the rump is NOT black, then your duckling is a ducklet.

I wrote a post about it, not long ago, on another thread I opened : https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hatching-of-my-first-ducklings-of-the-year-particularly-stressfull-but-lessons-learned.1623582/page-2#post-27801281
There are pictures to show what to look at!

 

[Luv Ducks]

Hi.


They are, but some are weird.

The Double-Crested, Light Dusky duckling has a crest on either side of her head... which make her look like if she actually has horns.
...I call her "La Chèvre" - meaning "The Goat" - because of it...

And the Crested, Bibbed Black drakelet actually has three crests on the head...!
...For the time being, he kind of makes me think of Elvis PRESLEY... (The hair...)



Oh yeah?

You wanted them so bad, so : congratulations.

Don't forget to post pictures when you take some!! And to give as many details as you can!



Hmmm... thank you!

Do you have a picture of your duckling...?

You can voice sex them pretty early in their life : if the duckling starts to quack (big voice), then she is a girl; but if the duckling is still peeping at four/five-weeks-old, then he is probably a boy.

(Nevertheless, in rare cases apparently, voice sexing can be inaccurate, and so, misleading : indeed, one of my last year ducklings was quacking like a girl until around 3-months-old... and he eventually stopped because he actually was a boy!)

Also, depending on their colour, you can easily tell their gender by their rump's colour once the feathers start to emerge from there.

For Grey/Mallard coloured ducks, for example - when the feathers are emerging :
- if the rump is turning black/blueish, then your duckling is a drakelet,
- if the rump is NOT black, then your duckling is a ducklet.

I wrote a post about it, not long ago, on another thread I opened : https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hatching-of-my-first-ducklings-of-the-year-particularly-stressfull-but-lessons-learned.1623582/page-2#post-27801281
There are pictures to show what to look at!

Thanks, I don't have the technology to do pictures on here and the pen that they are in makes it hard to get close to the two that are in it since they are skittish. I appreciate your help. He still peeps so he probably is a he, lol. He's about a month old now so I should hear a quack in the next couple of weeks if he's not a he.

 

[Papaye]

Thanks, I don't have the technology to do pictures on here and the pen that they are in makes it hard to get close to the two that are in it since they are skittish.

You are, of course, welcome.

Good luck with them!

He still peeps so he probably is a he, lol. He's about a month old now so I should hear a quack in the next couple of weeks if he's not a he.

Yes... he probably is a boy, but sometimes, females can be late to quack compared with others...

Wait for one week, preferably two before assuming your duckling is a boy.

...Would you prefer a girl?
Or are you okay with the fact your duckling could be a boy...?

 

[Luv Ducks]

You are, of course, welcome.

Good luck with them!



Yes... he probably is a boy, but sometimes, females can be late to quack compared with others...

Wait for one week, preferably two before assuming your duckling is a boy.

...Would you prefer a girl?
Or are you okay with the fact your duckling could be a boy...?

I am trying to rehome my three bigger boys so if they get rehomed I will have all smaller drakes and I think I will be okay. I just went out and looked again at him. He started out looking almost black to chocolate when we got him at 2 weeks. His bill is still black now that I could see it in the sunlight and his rump is black because he seems to be turning darker than he was at a duckling all over. He may end up being a black runner instead of a chocolate one. Thanks for all of the info. I cannot follow that coloring chart, it confuses me as it doesn't take much, lol.

 

[member 104844]

How are your Cresteds doing @Papaye ?
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.
So far they act just like my non Cresteds and if anything, are more eye catching with sweet, goofy personalities than non Cresteds. 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.
Worthwhile to see if the ‘hole in the head’ rumors are during and after hatch, and close up mostly or completely with age. I haven’t lost any of my grown Cresteds to check (and would rather not lose them anyway!)
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. And my lovely three Crested ladies, one small poof, one large poof and one double poof.

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

How are your Cresteds doing @Papaye ?
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.
So far they act just like my non Cresteds and if anything, are more eye catching with sweet, goofy personalities than non Cresteds. 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.
Worthwhile to see if the ‘hole in the head’ rumors are during and after hatch, and close up mostly or completely with age. I haven’t lost any of my grown Cresteds to check (and would rather not lose them anyway!)
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. And my lovely three Crested ladies, one small poof, one large poof and one double poof.

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