Genetics question

[SelfSufficientMe]

I know nothing about genetics. I’m hoping someone might know if crossing a silver welsh harlequin drake with a khaki campbell duck will create an autosex duckling?

I set eggs that were purebred welsh harlequin (silver) and I also set eggs that were the mix mentioned above and I only hatched one dark duckling. I did read that both breeds carry the dusky gene. It looked black at first, but it’s lighter. Any help is appreciated

 

[Jenbirdee]

I dont know but he/she is adorable!!!!

 

[cheezenkwackers]

I am afraid you did it backwards. You needed the drake to be brown and the hen to be black or silver to get sex linked ducklings. So, all your ducklings will get the dominant, black allele from their daddy and be black instead of brown. In this case, your duckling could be either gender but will be dusky. This is one of my dusky Hookbill drakes (black, not brown). It is very pretty.

 

[SelfSufficientMe]

I am afraid you did it backwards. You needed the drake to be brown and the hen to be black or silver to get sex linked ducklings. So, all your ducklings will get the dominant, black allele from their daddy and be black instead of brown. In this case, your duckling could be either gender but will be dusky. This is one of my dusky Hookbill drakes (black, not brown). It is very pretty.View attachment 3756427

Thank you very much for replying. That drake is very handsome.

I was not intentionally breeding for an autosex duckling, and the thought didn’t cross my mind until the ducklings hatched

I temporarily replaced a welsh harlequin that passed away with some khaki campbells until my mail order welsh ducklings (arriving next week) become breeding age. Ideally I’d like pure welsh and I couldn’t find any ducks around here. My drake to duck ratio was too low, hence the need to have more ducks.

The khaki crosses are just temporary, but it will be neat to see the offspring

Any clue what would happen if that duckling is a drake and I crossed it with a welsh harlequin?

 

[cheezenkwackers]

Thank you very much for replying. That drake is very handsome.

I was not intentionally breeding for an autosex duckling, and the thought didn’t cross my mind until the ducklings hatched

I temporarily replaced a welsh harlequin that passed away with some khaki campbells until my mail order welsh ducklings (arriving next week) become breeding age. Ideally I’d like pure welsh and I couldn’t find any ducks around here. My drake to duck ratio was too low, hence the need to have more ducks.

The khaki crosses are just temporary, but it will be neat to see the offspring

Any clue what would happen if that duckling is a drake and I crossed it with a welsh harlequin?

Sure, your duckling is heterozygous or carrying both the recessive harlequin allele and the normal one. So, half of the ducklings should look like Welsh Harlequin. If he is a drake, he is also heterozygous for brown. So, his sons will all show black (but 1/2 carry brown), and there is a 50-50 chance of brown or black for the girls. So, your probability for that cross is 1/4 silver harlequin drakes, 1/4 dusky drakes, 1/8 silver harlequin hens, 1/8 gold harlequin hens, 1/8 brown dusky (like a Khaki), 1/8 dark dusky.
It would be partially auto-sexing since any duckling showing brown would be female.
This is one of my ducks who is 1/2 Khaki 1/2 Welsh but her mom was the Welsh so she is brown. She is actually lighter than my full Khakis so maybe yours will be too.

 

[SelfSufficientMe]

Sure, your duckling is heterozygous or carrying both the recessive harlequin allele and the normal one. So, half of the ducklings should look like Welsh Harlequin. If he is a drake, he is also heterozygous for brown. So, his sons will all show black (but 1/2 carry brown), and there is a 50-50 chance of brown or black for the girls. So, your probability for that cross is 1/4 silver harlequin drakes, 1/4 dusky drakes, 1/8 silver harlequin hens, 1/8 gold harlequin hens, 1/8 brown dusky (like a Khaki), 1/8 dark dusky.
It would be partially auto-sexing since any duckling showing brown would be female.
This is one of my ducks who is 1/2 Khaki 1/2 Welsh but her mom was the Welsh so she is brown. She is actually lighter than my full Khakis so maybe yours will be too.
View attachment 3756884

Very interesting! And beautiful duck. My khakis are light.

And thank you. I hope it’s a girl tbh simply bc I’m not sure I want another drake but my son is attached to this little duckling

He said it’s the only one that color and it will get bullied bc it’s different and we gotta keep it lol He’s 5 y/o btw. I’m a sucker and a softy!