Black Appleyard duckling - pic post 7

[crperdue]

I have a solid black duckling that hatched out of a clutch of silver appleyards. They are pure appleyards from Holderread show quality stock. There is no chance that any other drake contributed to the gene pool so this duckling is pure appleyard.

Has anyone ever heard of a black appleyard?

 

[rollyard]

Quote:
No because Appleyards are genetically colour-wise light phase restricted mallards with resulting phenotype (very light wild-type mallard). They don't have the known gene for black & don't come in black!

This would be interesting if absolutely no chance eggs being mixed? Do you keep any other black-ish ducks?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Our eggs had a black hatch as well. I was told the dark duckling is most likely a drake, while the light colored ducklings are hens. Vent sexed the dark one and yes he is a he. His feathering is starting to come in nicely now.

 

[Senna95]

Are the ducklings black, or could they be dusky? Could you post pictures of the young-un FLChickens?

I once had a dusky (looked very dark all over) that hatched from a group of trout runners. I think both parents must have been hiding the recessive dusky gene. It grew up to be a light colored dusky: just like the trouts, only no eyestripes and no blue wing speculum.

If it is truely black, I think at least one of the parents would have shown some inkeling of it.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

I will take pictures this morning when we go out to work on our quail pens. The ducklings are in the yard for the day already.

Shellie

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Boy top left, girls bottom left and bottom right. Top right is a buff growing out with them.

Again boy is the top left in this picture too. Please ignore the ducky mucky pool lol, never ending battle.

 

[crperdue]

Here is a pic of my black appleyard. He is with a male and a female for comparison. As you can see, he is
solid black without any trace of a pattern at all. He is 100% appleyard as there is no chance of any accidental
breeding or of any egg mix-up.

 

[Oregon Blues]

The color he is as a duckling isn't going to be his adult color. It will be interesting to see how he grows out.

I don't see how you could get black from Appleyards, but I do have one whose juvenile plumage looks snowy. I just assume that she is an exceptionally light colored duck. The color that is visibly expressed isn't always what they are genetically.

I suppose you might have a melanistic duck like they get occasionally in pheasants.

 

[Oregon Blues]

By the way, the duck that he is standing next to, isn't a Silver Appleyard, either.

 

[crperdue]

Quote:

There isn't really any chance that these are anything but pure appleyards. Unless you think Holderread sells
"show quality" stock with questionable genetics OR some sort of prank by a magical cat burglar bent on disrupting
the genetics of backyard poultry enthusiasts.