Do I get Pickles a friend?

[cheezenkwackers]

Miss Lydia just posted the pictures again after this post Bless Her Heart. I was just out caring for them and boy do they ever all look alike except for one has a belly that has been turning whitish and also the bill on it is more yellow than the other two. They all have about the same color feet though and the necks all seemed to be about the same. The one's belly has been changing color for about two weeks now and the other two's are staying the same. With the belly on them being such a darker chestnut color I figured they were all the same sex, probably boys but not sure why one's belly would be changing to the grayish whitish color and the other two staying the same.

I’m so sorry. I am terrible at remembering names. I was the one who suggested two girls and one boy.
Anyway, I couldn’t figure out why their bill colors seemed off. But, if they are part Rouen, that explains it. That also could explain why one looks different. I hate to say this but they might all be boys and the different colors are just genetics. In crosses it is the second generation where you see more variation. I had a drake who was 1/2 Khaki and 1/2 Appleyard but the size of a Khaki. I kept one of his duckling from a Khaki hen. He looked like a Khaki but was huge. I assume that Appleyard size returned. You might be seeing something similar.

 

[Jenbirdee]

By the way they were 9 weeks old when we did that. and it turned out to be correct, we started to see the green sheen on their 7 little heads in the follow up weeks

 

[Luv Ducks]

By the way they were 9 weeks old when we did that. and it turned out to be correct, we started to see the green sheen on their 7 little heads in the follow up weeks

I will try that later this week. They hate being caught in the net and that is the only way I can get them. Next week will be 10 weeks for sure so I may just hold off until then to try it. They can run sooooo fast and I am not as young as I used to be, of course, none of us are. lol

 

[Luv Ducks]

I’m so sorry. I am terrible at remembering names. I was the one who suggested two girls and one boy.
Anyway, I couldn’t figure out why their bill colors seemed off. But, if they are part Rouen, that explains it. That also could explain why one looks different. I hate to say this but they might all be boys and the different colors are just genetics. In crosses it is the second generation where you see more variation. I had a drake who was 1/2 Khaki and 1/2 Appleyard but the size of a Khaki. I kept one of his duckling from a Khaki hen. He looked like a Khaki but was huge. I assume that Appleyard size returned. You might be seeing something similar.

Thanks for the information. No harm done. Time will tell for sure as their faces will start to turn green before too much longer if they are all drakes. That is my luck. This is my 3rd batch of ducklings between two Mallard Hen Sisters from California. I do have large Rouen Ducks but they are quite a bit older and I thought these all but one hatched out of my green eggs I get from the Mallard hens. They started out sharing the nest, one of them actually ate 3 eggs so I figured they were no good. She was sitting on quite a few both white and green eggs. The one Hen left the nest and got out of the contained area where the nest was being kept away from the rest of the flock for safety of the ducklings. I figured she flew straight up and got out that way. The other Hen that had never had ducklings hatched out 4 which are the 3 Mallards and 1 black Swedish from a black Swedish Call drake. Two eggs hatched one day and the other two the next day. The Hen would not leave the nest with the remaining eggs under her. I had to take them and candled them and none were fertile. They were all white eggs from who knows who in the pen. I have Khaki Campbells, Rouen, Mallard and Muscovy Hens. Thank you for your thoughts. I appreciated them.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

The divider has been removed! They are both sleeping on their original sides with their stuffed duck toys, but it’s a good start!

 

[Miss Lydia]

So sweet

 

[ducksandchickensohmy]

Its hard to explain how to do this but you pick a duck, and hold it out in front of you with both hands, then raise and lower it (up down up down) not super slow but not too fast either... kind of like if you were playing with a human baby... it makes them quack. if they are girls. they will quack!
my daugher and I did this with our ten unsexed khakis several years ago, and found out we had 7 drakes

Wish I had known this week's ago!!! Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

 

[Miss Lydia]

How are Pickles and Noodles doing? Been a few days since you updated.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

How are Pickles and Noodles doing? Been a few days since you updated.

Pretty good. Noodles, the little one, follows Pickles everywhere but keeps out of nipping range. Pickles tolerates noodles unless it is snuggle time with me. Then, he can’t help himself and has to nip Noodles in the butt to get him off my lap. Overall, a little better each day.
Thank you for asking!

PS. The brooder plate isn’t plugged in. I have just left it in there to give Noodles a safe spot to escape to, if needed.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Size difference is amazing!
So Pickles gooses Noddles when your holding him? So funny!
Didn’t you get eggs for hatching too? How’s that going?