Cayuga Ducks?

[iajewel]

Its not solid black ducks that turn white, its Cayuga that turn white. Muscovy will take a few years to "color" as if they are going to have a white head, they won't be born with it. I have some that are still changing with every molt and they were spring babies. However, if they are blue.. black.. what ever, thats what they will be as a rule. They don't gray, or age like a Cayuga. Only the Cayuga has what would be in human terms, the "gray" gene or the gene that allows them to turn lighter with age.

 

[TennesseeTruly]

Quote:
Thanks for clearing that up!

Laurie

 

[NH-Chooks]

Interesting site about Cayuga ducks:

http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/waterfowl/cayuga.html

Currently have 6 Cayuga's and 6 White Layers - both very friendly. Cayuga's are definitely smaller.

They love spinach or any kind of green food. We had them on chicken mash but they are now on pellets. They will be 4 weeks old on the 25th of this month.



Ducks now 4 weeks old.... just waiting for their duck house to arrive... it needs to get here soon! Tomorrow, hopefully....



The duck/chicken area: Below is the chicken house.... Orpingtons in the background... soon to be followed with Australorps that are 6 weeks old.



This is their "shared" area as we intend to free range both...



We've seeded this area with clover and wild bird feed so it will grow millet, etc., for both the ducks and chickens.

Hoping to cut down on food cost and we've also planted raised gardens for them w/strawberries & spinach which will be covered by wire so they cannot eat the plants - only the produce!

Hope you enjoy your ducks... we are and also the chickens!

 

[DB_Tex]

WOW! that color change is really neat--- like a duck that changes it's coat in the autumn years!

I originally just wanted to post that many purebred cayuga ducklings have a blush of yellow across the chest that becomes speckles of white in their adult plumage. It's not "desirable" for the show ring, but still very pretty. I got my first cayuga hen (Sneetches) as a feed store baby. She had a lot of yellow on her chest as a duckling, but I picked her for the black feet, hoping she was a cayuga, but accepting of the fact that she may have turned out to be black swedish and my gamble paid off. She has a little shooting star of white on her chest (She is after all, a Sneetch, with a star on thar!)

I had Ideal add 2 cayugas to my gosling order this winter and one was a tiny all black little girl with no yellow on her, and one turned out to be an EXTRA large boy with a splash of yellow... he was often larger than the smallest gosling when they were all in the brooder! We call him Big Ben now and he looks like his chest is frosted. The female (Betty) is still on the small side, but just about perfect example of the breed in almost every other way.

 

[gryeyes]

Cayugas are my favorite duck breed. I also like call ducks very much, but BOY! Are the females loud!

I have four adult female Cayugas with four adult males, and three of the hens are setting and broody as all get-out. That leaves ONE hen for playtime for the boys... So now I have three more Cayuga ducklings in a brooder in the house. Bought 'em special order from my favorite feed store, who ordered them (sexed) for me through Metzer Farms.

It will be a while beforee they're old enough to join the flock... But at least I'll have a better boy/girl ratio.

And, if any of the three broody ducks' eggs hatch... We'll see what happens ther.

 

[ForeverSunshine]

Mine are a mix of Cayuga and Blue Swiss. I don't know which side it comes from, but my ducks bond easily, they're very easy going, and the females lay one egg every day. I love my babies!