Buff or Saxony? Help!

[Duckandgoatlady]

I purchased these ducks from a florida breeder as Buff. I posted in another thread and someone said they were Saxony and not Orpingtons. I would appreciate input from those more knowledgeable than myself. They are not from a mixed flock of ducks. This is the only breed of ducks the breeder has other than Cayuga, which is separated out.
All pictures and information I gathered is in my Album Buff Ducks. I can't seem to upload a pic on this post.
This is so sad. I can stand behind my Pekin and Cayugas purity 100%. These ducks are beautiful, docile and lay like crazy. I don't think I will part with them. I will offer them as mixed ducks instead. To The Duck ABC's, you are correct. Most of my ducks have just started laying regularly. Prior to that, I ran my flock all together and used the eggs for consumption. I retired in August and decided to turn a hobby into a supplement to my retirement. I will back up and regroup. I will purchase ducks from a reputable breeder and be able to stand behind their purity 100%. I am a completely honest, forthright person and do not want to ruin my reputation before I have a chance to establish one. I really appreciate the input and help each of you have offered. It really takes a load off my mind, even though they are mutt ducks.

 

[Ducks and Banny hens]

They're neither Orpintons or Saxonies. They are American Saxonies. A.S. are mutts caused by a sexlink (BO drake X Rouen or Sax hen) the result being A.S. hens, and grey drakes. The A.S.' breed true after 1 generation if you breed together the sexlinks, so it's very possible that these 'Saxonies' have been bred true for even decades.

 

[mommyofthreewithchicks]

To my mostly uninformed eye they look like buff. I just looked at a few pics on the web to compare. They look very pretty!!!

Again I have tried to stay away from looking too much (tempted to buy this breed myself). Hopefully someone will chime in with the differences. And both breeds do look very close to one another so...

I guess I will try and watch this thread to see what others say.

 

[The Duck ABC's]

They are not German or American Saxonies. I guess is they are a buff-saxony mix. I do see the Saxony traits and also see buff traits. They are mutts for sure. They are still nice birds, but you cannot sell their offsprings or the eggs as a true breed.

 

[The Duck ABC's]

I see in one of the posts that the seller keeps them in breeding pens. It could be that they were all mingled together prior to putting into the breeding pens. A female duck can retain sperm for up to 2 weeks. Perhaps the breeder wasn't waiting long enough to assure that the sperm was out of the system.

 

[Ducks and Banny hens]

To my mostly uninformed eye they look like buff. I just looked at a few pics on the web to compare. They look very pretty!!!

Again I have tried to stay away from looking too much (tempted to buy this breed myself). Hopefully someone will chime in with the differences. And both breeds do look very close to one another so...

I guess I will try and watch this thread to see what others say.

I'm a good chime:

- Buff
*Buff/tan body (male has powder blue head/tail)
*NO facial stripes, and NO claret bib or neckring or stipling

- Saxony
*Buff/tan body (male has powder blue head/tail)
* Facial stripes, claret bib, neckring and vague stipling.

- A.S.
* Any mixture of the forenoted features.

*(Duck ABC's: isn't an A.S. just what you said, a mixture of a Buff X Rouen/Appleyard/Saxony type mutt? Or is there an actual breed nowadays called the american saxony?

 

[Duckandgoatlady]

After I separated them out, the eggs I collected for 3 weeks I stuck in my incubator to check fertility and hatch rate or ate them. The 4th week I incubated a few from each group to check again. Each time I put a turner full in I fill up the turner with a few of my own eggs. The first weeks eggs I knew I had mixes. The Cayuga and Mutt (Buff) I had hatch were either solid blue, black with white eyestripes and markings. My Pekins have been separated before as a breeding flock and they don't associate with the 2 other breeds when they are together. I have 12 and they have split themselves into 3 groups.

I am very upset I have mixed ducks. It makes me appear dishonest and I am attempting to establish an honest reputation. I am grateful for the assistance everyone has given me to establish that fact.

I don't think the breeder I got them from was dishonest. He apparently is in the same boat I am.

After the article I found and the lack of material and pictures on the nonstandard Buffs I had nothing to validate either way.

The Cayugas and Pekins I have are 100%. At least I can vouch for them.

 

[mominoz]

Not totally like my Saxonys from Holderread. The brownish female not at all. The males are similiar, but should have chestnut breasts and neck ring of creme all the way round,bluegray head ....females should have creme eyestripes,and creamy neck to breast.

 

[Duckandgoatlady]

I am going to be positive about this. I will offer the ducklings as mixed. Even though they are not pure they are very pretty with quite a bit of blue. I am a sucker for blue poultry. I ordered Cayugas eggs to hatch. I have a mixture of blue and black ducklings to add to me breeding flock. I have Ancona eggs in the incubator now. I am hoping to get a couple of blue ones.

 

[Ducks and Banny hens]

I am going to be positive about this. I will offer the ducklings as mixed. Even though they are not pure they are very pretty with quite a bit of blue. I am a sucker for blue poultry. I ordered Cayugas eggs to hatch. I have a mixture of blue and black ducklings to add to me breeding flock. I have Ancona eggs in the incubator now. I am hoping to get a couple of blue ones.

Why be negative? These look like Male/Female counterparts, and, aside from the hetero Blue, they'll probably breed true very well. Breed them, and before you sell them, name the breed..... Basically, it's like origination except some (not always) unknowledgable breeder has done most of the work for you. All you have to do is direct it to a finish, and it will probably breed true. To offer an example, the Bow Lake fowl was originated by someone who basically knew absolutely nothing of any breeds or color varieties... Someone (Detlor Poultry) discovered that these fowls were breeding true to type and were coming close to breeding true to color, gave the breed a name, and nowadays they're becoming popular. It's unfortunately hard to tell who has them as they are sold by the originator as just 'Banny chickens' (leading people to think that they are just dunghill stock). If you can get these ducks to breed true, go for it!