Dark phase silver appleyard ducklings? Or rouens?

[EllieandOlive]

This is slightly confusing, lots of questions mixed in, but here goes! I ordered 3 silver appleyards from Metzer farms. One was a pre sexed female, and two were supposed to be straight runs. I also had two 'surprise mixed sex ducklings' in this order, so they don't come labeled.

The female (labeled) appleyard died the day they arrived...she was the only one that looked like an appleyard. I am getting her replaced...

So, I have these 3 unlabeled ducklings (out of 4 SR, the 4th is an obvious breed). Two should be SR appleyards and the third could be anything as it was a mixed surprise. To me, they all look like rouens/mallards.

I contacted the company for clarification on what type the mixed ducklings were and how to tell them apart from the appleyards as I wasn't familiar with this coloring of appleyards. They asked the owner of Metzer and he is sure these are silver appleyards that are a part of the 10% of the darker coloring that look like rouens.

Sooooo, if two of these are indeed dark phase appleyards, and the other is an unknown duckling, which 2 are appleyards and which 1 is a mallard/rouen/third surprise dark phase appleyard?

Did they give me a third dark phase or a rouen/mallard? Also, what does a dark phase appleyard look like as an adult? Apparently they account for 10% of offspring but I can't find any pictures anywhere! Will they breed mostly dark phase, or 90% light phase 10% dark like the standard appleyard?
And another thing, why, if they only count for 10%, did I get potentially 3 for 3 dark phases? Poor luck?

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

Not jet black but by no means orange

 

[Ratchnick]

I would guess the one with the orange feet is the odd duck out.

 

[EllieandOlive]

After looking more at the third ducking picture (lighter leg color) and researching the difference between rouens and mallards, if said rouens have 2 eye stripes while mallards have I've, so assuming the lighter legged one is not a silver apple yard rare/dark phase, I'd assume mallard.

Does anyone agree/disagree?

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

That would make sense! So would it be a rouen or mallard do you think? Honestly I'm not familiar with either other than recent Google searches lol.

My Rouens have black feet

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

As ducklings or always?

Both

 

[indianaducks]

If its from a hatchery and its a mallard, would it be required to have some sort of marking that its a domestic and not a wild mallard? So if it does appear to have said marking that would indicate a mallard right? Just trying to think of ways to rule a breed in or out of your potential choices. (I could be wrong in all of this, new to ducks)

 

[ColtHandorf]

Mallards nor Roens have orange legs/feet as ducklings. They are dark.

 

[Ratchnick]

My dad has mallards, their feet were always orange. As a hatchery mallard it would have the right back toe cut off or a wing tip cut off our a tatoo/mark on the foot i think. Foot and bill color can vary with different strains of the same breed as well, so if someone says x breed has x color feet it probably realy means either their ducks had that color or that is what the breed standard is but doesn't rule anything out. Time will tell for sure.

 

[DuckDuckJuice]

We have two Appleyards from McMurray. One is pretty standard looking, but the other, I always assumed she was a bit of a fluke color-wise. I didn’t know “dark-phase” was a thing and am wondering now if she is a variation on that. She’s the one with the black bill. Her coloring is much darker than a typical SA and her bill and feet are black, as well as having dark eye stripes. I think she’s beautiful, but definitely not the norm.