duck newbie. some questions...

[ohiogoatgirl]

i'm about to get 6 mallard/khaki mixes. tradin milk for ducks

so i'm new to ducks. these will be my first. they are all from the same place and free range the yard there. I know I have coons that will attack here so i'll be putting them into a very large hutch with a run onto it.
the ducks were hatched out by one broody duck early this spring. the person doesnt really sex them generally, they say the louder ones are ducks and the quieter, raspier sounding ones are drakes.. thinks there is 2 or 3 males and 3 or 4 females.
...
1)when abouts should they start layin?
2)would this cross be a decent egg layer? i'm not needin tons but havin a few would be good.
3)sexing tips would be super helpful. i'll be keepin the biggest healthiest drake and any other drakes will be my first butchers. see if I like the meat.
4)will they lay eggs all year?

thanks so much!

 

[wafflechicken]

Here's a like to some sound files on the difference between drakes and ducks:

http://www.majesticwaterfowl.org/artquacks.htm


1) I think (I'm not overly familiar with mallard or Khakis much less a hybrid) you can expect them to lay in about 6 months.

2) No idea but since the Khaki is derived form the Mallard there's a fair chance at... fair? Again not familiar with the hybrid.

3) While the voices mentioned in the link above can help your best bet is likely to wait for the adult plumage. This may take several months. I know mallards have sexually differentiating plumage, not sure about khakis but I think so. Also note that there are right and wrong times to cull ducks. Once they get their adult feathers they almost immediately molt again to get their "true" feathers. If you butcher between steps one and two you end up with a heck of a time plucking them. Even with wax. I believe that it's right at 12 weeks old or after 18 weeks old but I'd have to look it up again, maybe someone else knows. I just have a spreadsheet that calculates it for me and that's what it tells me.

4) Again, the hybrid nature makes this difficult to answer. Khakis will definitely lay all year round. They're known to lay 300 eggs a year and the only way to do that is to lay much of the year. Crossed with the mallard? I don't know but someone else might.

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

thank you! that sound bite is helpful.

I brought home two today. the others were not havin any part of being rounded up so the person is settin a trap for them tonight and will be bringin em round to me.

but the two I have, I believe one is a duck and one is a drake. one is definitely a defined quack and the other is very quiet, not really makin much sound but when it does it is raspy and quieter and much less defined.

I also noticed one has a more orangey beak and the other has a more greenish brown beak. cant remember which had which at the moment. be getting pics soon.