Hatching of my first ducklings of the year - Particularly stressfull, but lessons learned!

[Bolfreak]

But does the mom's feather colours play a role...?

I don’t think so, because Mom contributes only one chromosome to feather color. But there isn’t info on genetic eggshell color OR Crested genes, so time to get to work!
My Cayuga girls are all different, my older girl only laid whitish eggs (that I found, granted I didn’t know what I was looking for and had other birds’ eggs when she laid-but her daughters laid dark eggs). Also with my Cayugas it’s not the shell color, but the bloom color that’s dark. It can be washed or scraped off, unlike shell color.

That's why I am only using broody hens : they just know and do better than me...)

I prefer mommas to raise babies, too, but can’t do proper research without incubating because of keeping records. I also have not had broody ducks or geese yet, only my turkeys see eggs and want to sit

Updated pics…Lilac and Blue ~23 days old.
Cayuga babies ~10 days old. One has a patch? not bib on chest but not sure if Chocolate. I do have a Standard Buff drake out there so it’s possible but not likely because he gets muscled off by my Cayuga or Light Buff drakes.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

I don’t think so, because Mom contributes only one chromosome to feather color. But there isn’t info on genetic eggshell color OR Crested genes, so time to get to work!
My Cayuga girls are all different, my older girl only laid whitish eggs (that I found, granted I didn’t know what I was looking for and had other birds’ eggs when she laid-but her daughters laid dark eggs). Also with my Cayugas it’s not the shell color, but the bloom color that’s dark. It can be washed or scraped off, unlike shell color.

I prefer mommas to raise babies, too, but can’t do proper research without incubating because of keeping records. I also have not had broody ducks or geese yet, only my turkeys see eggs and want to sit

Updated pics…Lilac and Blue ~23 days old.
Cayuga babies ~10 days old. One has a patch? not bib on chest but not sure if Chocolate. I do have a Standard Buff drake out there so it’s possible but not likely because he gets muscled off by my Cayuga or Light Buff drakes.

A lot of my cayuga ducklings have had a patch of yellowish down on their chests.

 

[Bolfreak]

A lot of my cayuga ducklings have had a patch of yellowish down on their chests.

Mine have as well, just not this obvious or so low down. Definitely belly area not bib area. I do have a Standard Buff drake out with my Cayugas so Chocolate is possible if not likely. I can’t find non Runner Chocolate duckling pics.

 

[Bolfreak]

They are almost six weeks old now, am thinking the Blue is a drake as he’s very quiet. They’ve adopted the younger Cayugas and it’s really cute. I didn’t need a drake for my plans, but decided to keep him since he’s lovely and nice personality. Not related to the Lilac duck so their babies will give me Splash ducks.
Have some turkeys and ducks hatching from the bator (first is a Narrangansett) and a turkey hen sitting on turkey and duck eggs as well

How’re your babies doing?

 

[Bolfreak]

Another Lilac girl hatched this morning and a photobomb from her Cayuga sibling that wants attention, too