Genetics: 2nd Generation Golden 300

[DameHillDucks]

Hi everyone,

We just hatched our first brood of ducklings. Everything has gone really well, and we're so excited! I just had a question about genetics and coloring of ducklings, and hoped someone could help me out.

The father of all our ducklings is a Golden 300 male - I realize the offspring won't have the "hybrid vigor" of the first generation Golden 300s, and that sex-linked traits may not apply. Typically, Golden 300 male ducklings with have black somewhere on them, and females will be shades of brown. Does anyone have any idea if the same rule is likely to apply for "second generation" babies, or if all those rules are out the window?

Thanks so much for your time!

 

[lomine]

I don't know about ducks but for auto color sexing (is that the right term?) chickens it only applies to the first generation. I'm no expert. I mostly replied to ask you to post pictures. Would love to see some.

 

[DameHillDucks]

Thank you for your feedback! We're trying to figure out which ducklings we want to chance keeping, and I'm not very good at vent sexing yet.

With Welsh Harlequins, I know you can also tell by beak color within the first couple of days - does anyone know if that could that be any help with a Welsh Harlequin mix (that seems to be marked like one)?


On the bottom photo, if you were to judge gender by beak color, what would you say the one on the right is?

My kid is in love with three of these ducklings. One seems to be a male, one a female, and the other I'm just really unsure about.

I don't want too many males, and also don't want to break her heart! Our current flock is 2 males, 5 females.

 

[MandBducks]

From what I have read and researched you can't sex by color with second generation. I think I read that somewhere in Metzers site.

 

[lomine]

For my WH the beak sexing was only accurate for 3 out of 4. I think the average is like 80% overall accurate. I have no idea if that is a trait passed on to cross breed ducklings.

Are you keeping some ducklings and selling some? Is that why you want to figure out what sex they are?