Come on Duck People! SELL ME SOME FERTILE EGGS!!!! :-)

[Sweetfolly]

I haven't separated my Runner pair out from my Campbells and Hookbills yet, but they've just started laying, and I'm planning on putting my test batch into the incubator early next week.

The pen currently has:
- 2 Dark Campbell Drakes
- 1 Buff Runner Drake
- 1 Dutch Hookbill Drake
- 4 Dark Campbell Hens
- 1 White Indian Runner Hen
- 1 Dutch Hookbill Hen

So, the ducklings from these eggs could be Campbell/Runner, Campbell/Hookbill, Runner/Hookbill, or pure Campbell, Runner, or Hookbill. I suspect they'll mostly be Runner/Campbell and a few pure Runner, because the Runner hen was the first to start laying, the Campbells started just this morning, and I've seen the Runner drake breeding with EVERYONE, but I haven't seen the other drakes being very ambitious yet, and the Hookbill hen isn't laying.

I'm separating these guys Monday or Tuesday (my days off!) next week, and then I need at least 2 (but I prefer to give it 3) weeks to ensure parentage, so in a few weeks I'll have pure Dark Campbell eggs, and could throw in a few pure Runner and Hookbill eggs - but if you want to test a test batch of the mixed eggs, I could have 1 dozen+ fresh eggs ready to ship on Monday, March 8th for $26 (which includes the shipping).

Here are some pictures of the flock:

If you're interested, PM me and let me know.

 

[fisharescary]

Quote:
Ooo. Those should be interesting crosses. Storey's Guide, incidentally, said something about RunnerXCampbell crosses...they'll be super layers and foragers, and calmer than your average runner. Also I know that at least some darkXlight crosses end up being sex-linked, but I can't remember this one in particular. Were you planning a few crosses on purpose? You're gonna post pics when some hatch, right?

 

[Sweetfolly]

Quote:
Ooo. Those should be interesting crosses. Storey's Guide, incidentally, said something about RunnerXCampbell crosses...they'll be super layers and foragers, and calmer than your average runner. Also I know that at least some darkXlight crosses end up being sex-linked, but I can't remember this one in particular. Were you planning a few crosses on purpose? You're gonna post pics when some hatch, right?

Thanks - I never really intended to do any crossing - they just surprised me by beginning laying a full month earlier than I anticipated!
I have to admit though, I'm very excited about the Runner/Campbell crosses. My Runner drake is a dark, slightly off-colored Buff, which means he's carrying a brown, buff, and two blue dilutions - I'm not exactly sure what happens when you combine some of those with the Campbell's dusky base; I may have to hop on over to the breeds/genetics/showing forum and have some one explain it to me!

Or, I can just wait until they hatch! I cracked the first few open to see if they were fertile (from what I've seen out in the yard, there was really never a question) and I started collecting them today. I'm putting them in the 'bator next Wednesday, so they should hatch March 31st - April 1st!

I could do a sex-linked cross with my Campbells if I had a Khaki drake over my Dark Campbell hens - the male offspring would be dusky, and the females would be khaki. Unfortunately, while I do have 2 older Khaki hens, I don't have a Khaki drake and probably won't be able to do any sex-linked Campbell crosses this year, unless I can find a good-quality Khaki drake locally (and I've been looking!)
But, if my White Runner hen is genetically black or grey "underneath" the recessive white, then my pure Runners should be sex-linked, with the males being shades of grey/black/blue and the females being shades of dusky/khaki/chocolate. Since I don't really know my White Runner's genetic background though, I won't know for sure until I separate the Runners out and hatch some of her eggs - hopefully I'll have some of them out by May 1st, since I have a waiting list for those ducklings!

These are some very exciting eggs, which should produce some interesting colors, and VERY good layers! I'd have the few I've collected in the incubator already, but my humidity gauge went out, and I can't go get a new one until Tuesday.