Duckling Breed Guesses

[malndobe]

I ordered the "mix ducklings" from Metzer farms, and am curious if people have any idea of what breeds I got. I know none are crested. From their website

"Mix ducklings are whatever we have available after all specific breeds are shipped. It is our choice of breeds. It is impossible to know exactly what will be in Mixed Ducklings. Normally we are able to include at least three breeds in the mixed. They could be Runners, Rouens, Khaki Campbells, Cayuga, Buff, Blue Swedish, Pekin or one of the layer strains. We have even included the White Crested in the Mix selection at times."

A full list of the breeds they carry is on their website at:
http://www.metzerfarms.com/DuckBreedComparison.cfm?CustID=10242480

I'll try to get some better photos. Some are the sterotypical solid yellow with yellow legs, I'm assuming those are going to be white as adults?




Multi colored feet, and has almost a dilute color pattern like a mallard duckling.


This one has solid dark feet.


Pretty sure this one is a Rouen, since they didn't list Mallard as one of the breeds they include, but does anyone know how to tell the difference for sure?

 

[malndobe]

This may or may not be helpful, but it's cute

 

[lomine]

I ordered the "mix ducklings" from Metzer farms, and am curious if people have any idea of what breeds I got. I know none are crested. From their website

"Mix ducklings are whatever we have available after all specific breeds are shipped. It is our choice of breeds. It is impossible to know exactly what will be in Mixed Ducklings. Normally we are able to include at least three breeds in the mixed. They could be Runners, Rouens, Khaki Campbells, Cayuga, Buff, Blue Swedish, Pekin or one of the layer strains. We have even included the White Crested in the Mix selection at times."

A full list of the breeds they carry is on their website at:
http://www.metzerfarms.com/DuckBreedComparison.cfm?CustID=10242480

I'll try to get some better photos. Some are the sterotypical solid yellow with yellow legs, I'm assuming those are going to be white as adults?



Buff, maybe Fawn and White Runner
Multi colored feet, and has almost a dilute color pattern like a mallard duckling.

Welsh Harlequin
This one has solid dark feet.

Looks like another Welsh Harlequin

Khaki Campbell ?
Pretty sure this one is a Rouen, since they didn't list Mallard as one of the breeds they include, but does anyone know how to tell the difference for sure?

Rouen normally have two eye stripes and Mallards just one. They probably don't include Mallards because they would be much smaller.



Could be another Buff or Pekin.

Those are my best guesses. How many did you get? Looks like a happy bunch running around in their brooder.

 

[malndobe]

Those are my best guesses. How many did you get? Looks like a happy bunch running around in their brooder.

I ordered 25, they shipped 27. Unfortunately 2 were not doing well when they arrived, and I lost those two and one more overnight. They had sent me one white crested, but it was one that wasn't doing well and I lost. You can see it on the video, just kind of hanging out in one spot while the others race around.

In the pictures above, the ones you marked "Looks like another Welsh Harlequin" and "Khaki Campbell ?" are the same duckling, if that's any help.

Thanks for the ID's. I do think there are some Runners in this group, just based on posture. I'd love it if there were 4-5 different breeds. I currently have one lonely adult female Rouen, she had friends but a predator got them while they were free ranging one day :-( So no more unsupervised free ranging, and a larger beefed up pen has been built so I don't feel guilty that they are locked up more often.

 

[PotatoWaffles]

I ordered the "mix ducklings" from Metzer farms, and am curious if people have any idea of what breeds I got. I know none are crested. From their website "Mix ducklings are whatever we have available after all specific breeds are shipped. It is our choice of breeds. It is impossible to know exactly what will be in Mixed Ducklings. Normally we are able to include at least three breeds in the mixed. They could be Runners, Rouens, Khaki Campbells, Cayuga, Buff, Blue Swedish, Pekin or one of the layer strains. We have even included the White Crested in the Mix selection at times." A full list of the breeds they carry is on their website at: http://www.metzerfarms.com/DuckBreedComparison.cfm?CustID=10242480 I'll try to get some better photos. Some are the sterotypical solid yellow with yellow legs, I'm assuming those are going to be white as adults? Yes, most likely looks like a buff to me. The beak is a caramel color Multi colored feet, and has almost a dilute color pattern like a mallard duckling. welsh harlequin This one has solid dark feet. welsh harlequin Pretty sure this one is a Rouen, since they didn't list Mallard as one of the breeds they include, but does anyone know how to tell the difference for sure? rouen. A mallard duckling would be MUCH smaller with only one eye stripe could be white layer or pekin. The size will be your biggest hint here, and will get more apparent as they get older. Could also be buff. Does Metzer sell white runners? If so, could be one of those

those are my best guesses. You could always call Metzer and ask which breeds were hatched that week. Might help narrow it down

 

[lomine]

I ordered 25, they shipped 27. Unfortunately 2 were not doing well when they arrived, and I lost those two and one more overnight. They had sent me one white crested, but it was one that wasn't doing well and I lost. You can see it on the video, just kind of hanging out in one spot while the others race around.

In the pictures above, the ones you marked "Looks like another Welsh Harlequin" and "Khaki Campbell ?" are the same duckling, if that's any help.

Thanks for the ID's. I do think there are some Runners in this group, just based on posture. I'd love it if there were 4-5 different breeds. I currently have one lonely adult female Rouen, she had friends but a predator got them while they were free ranging one day :-( So no more unsupervised free ranging, and a larger beefed up pen has been built so I don't feel guilty that they are locked up more often.

Oh then it's probably a WH. I put the question mark because it looked a little light for a KC but a little dark for a WH. It's probably the lighting difference between the two pictures.

That's a lot of ducks. Sorry you lost some. Hope the others will do well. I'm sure your Rouen will be much happier with a flock. I sure hope she doesn't have any trouble integrating with them.

 

[Mini]

The Rouen is a mallard. Mallards have one eye stripe and usually a dot, just like that one. Rounds have 2 eye stripes.

 

[lomine]

The Rouen, like many domestic duck breeds, was derived from wild Mallards but they are a separate breed. Yes Rouens normally have two district eye stripes but Metzer is a hatchery and not a breeder. They are less concerned with breeding to standard. Don't get me wrong, I'm not putting them down. I currently have 3 ducks from Metzer and they are wonderful, beautiful, and healthy birds but the chances of them being show quality are low. But I don't care if they are show quality.

In this case the best way to tell is by size. The picture shows the duckling is about the same size as the others. A Mallard duckling will be much smaller. Plus there is the fact that Metzer doesn't list the Mallard as a breed included in the mixed breed option. As I said before, this is probably because of the size difference.

 

[malndobe]

That's a lot of ducks. Sorry you lost some. Hope the others will do well. I'm sure your Rouen will be much happier with a flock. I sure hope she doesn't have any trouble integrating with them.

I think she will integrate well. The flock I had before was actually one that I integrated from three different sources and I had no issues.
If I need to I can always take this larger group and break them up into smaller groups, putting one with her, then reintegrate all of the groups together at once.

 

[lomine]

I think she will integrate well. The flock I had before was actually one that I integrated from three different sources and I had no issues.
If I need to I can always take this larger group and break them up into smaller groups, putting one with her, then reintegrate all of the groups together at once.

That's a great back-up plan in case she can't handle 25 new friends.