Breed Identification

[Nschuette]

I recently became a duck owner after buying 5 mystery ducks from TSC. Now they are around 7 weeks old and I have no clue how to identify breeds as they are so similar. I have included photos of them at different stages if anyone can help. Thank you in advance!

 

[DuneDucks]

The white bib on your one duck is a telltale characteristic of the Swedish breed. Looks like Chocolate coloring to me, but that could just be the lighting. Chocolate is actually excluded from Hoover's Swedish listings and ID chart, so I'm probably wrong with that one.

The duck with the yellowish beak and multiple eye stripes is a Rouen.

The other three I would guess are Golden 300.

Have you been able to identify their sexes? At 7 weeks there's a pretty good chance they're all making identifiable sounds.

 

[Nschuette]

I believe all are male besides the Swedish as you say. Although only 1 or 2 have a sex feather visible the only one making any kind of quacking again is as you say the Swedish. But thank you for your insight!

 

[Corbdee]

I agree the bib and still pinkish bill makes the one look like a golden 300, the others all look like Rouen's to me

 

[DuneDucks]

Yeah, hatcheries sex their ducklings to fill the demand for females ordered online, and then the leftovers get sent to stores like TSC. So, a breed like Golden 300 that's sought after for their egg-laying gets a very disproportionate number of boys sent out and put in the random bin. All 3 of mine were male too last year. In fact, I can't say I've seen a single random Golden 300 posted on here that did turn out to be female.

You'll want to start considering your options if you do only end up with 1 female. Those boys will be way too much for her to handle when their hormones kick in.

 

[DuneDucks]

the others all look like Rouen's to me

That's just how Golden 300 drakes look with their eclipse plumage. All of mine could have easily been mistaken for Rouen too before molting that first set of feathers. I've seen it speculated that Rouen are a strong part of whatever mix makes up Golden 300, which I tend to agree with.

The difference is a bit more noticeable in the younger photo of them in the pool.

 

[Corbdee]

That's just how Golden 300 drakes look with their eclipse plumage. All of mine could have easily been mistaken for Rouen too before molting that first set of feathers. I've seen it speculated that Rouen are a strong part of whatever mix makes up Golden 300, which I tend to agree with.

The difference is a bit more noticeable in the younger photo of them in the pool.

I guess I missed the pool pic. The one farthest right does look the most like a Rouen and I have seen some golden 300s that look that similar, you're right. I'm still not sure on the Swedish, though. Even the possible Swedish looks more like the female plumage of a golden 300.

 

[DuneDucks]

I'm still not sure on the Swedish, though. Even the possible Swedish looks more like the female plumage of a golden 300.

Yeah, you might be right. Can't say I've seen many Chocolate Swedish before, and like I said I don't know if I've ever seen a female Golden 300 duckling outside Hoover's ID chart, so I could certainly be wrong on that one.

 

[Corbdee]

Yeah, you might be right. Can't say I've seen many Chocolate Swedish before, and like I said I don't know if I've ever seen a female Golden 300 duckling outside Hoover's ID chart, so I could certainly be wrong on that one.

I've gotten some pretty wacky looking colored down/designs on ducklings that turned out to be golden 300s, they just all relatively have the same yellow/brown/black feet /pink bill variation.

 

[DuneDucks]

I've gotten some pretty wacky looking colored down/designs on ducklings that turned out to be golden 300s, they just all relatively have the same yellow/brown/black feet /pink bill variation.

Yeah, sure is a breed with a lot of variety. I'll have to keep the latter in mind. And now that I'm looking at Hoover's website, Chocolate Swedish seem pretty explicitly excluded. Nowhere for sale or on their ID chart. You must be right about it being a female Golden 300.