Crested Khaki Campbells ~ Question about breeding

[CK Chickadilly]

I am fascinated with the Khaki Campbells & of course think that the crests are so cute.

I was reading in the Ideal Website about the breeding of the cresteds & this is what it said....

"Since there is a lethal gene involved in producing crested ducks, special mating considerations must be made."

What exactly does this mean? What considerations are needed?

Could someone please explain this to me.

Thanks!!!!

 

[CK Chickadilly]

Can anyone explain please?

 

[BigByrd24]

All I know so far is that you don't want to breed crest to crest.

 

[ShadyGlade]

I believe that the embryos that get a double dose of the crested gene don't survive to hatch. The crested ducks have a skull deformity also and its the skull issue not the crest per se that causes the problems.

 

[Ducklove334]

breeding cresteds, you have to breed a crested to a non-crested, that will give you a 50/50 mix.

I hope to get crested baby mallards out of my crested girl Jumper and non-crested drake Jacobi.

 

[goosedragon]

Well it isn't quite as simple as the posts above indicate. There are two genes involved, one from each parent. if the bird gets a crested gene from each parent it is usually fatal and the egg does not hatch. live crested birds carry one crested and one non crested gene. either of which could be passed to the egg. From here on out c=crested gene, n=non crested gene. breeding two crested birds can result in cc, cn, nc, and nn combos. equal chance for any of the 4 combos. cc will not hatch, nn will be noncrested so the odds on the hatched birds is 66%crested, 33% noncrested. This is assuming that the crested gene is not dominate which I don't know for sure. crestedXnon crested should give cn, nn, nn, nn or 25%crested, 75% noncrested.

 

[KnightslilAngel]

This is what my VET told me, and have concluded from what i have seen.

With any Duck breed it is MOSTLY the male who has a crest. This is because when Ducks Mate the male pushes the femlaes head down and will use some of her head feathers for ballance. With crested Females this is a risk because it could get to the point that the femlaes Crest can be pulled out.
Even one of my femlaes who isnt crested has a patch of fluff missing from the back of her head D:

I hope this answers your question

 

[CK Chickadilly]

Thank you! I think I understand it now.