How did my Muscovy babies come out this color?

[Smartie_Pants]

I posted about this back when they were little, but now that they are fully feathered out the look even odder! The father is a standard black and white Muscovy drake. Here is a picture of the mother:

Here is what the babies look like:

They almost look like blue swedish in the coloration. They even have white bibs. A couple of them even have some brown feathers on their breasts. The Muscovy was the only drake I had at the time, so I guess its in the genes. Can someone post the color crossings and what you get? (Like: Black X Black = 100% Black)

 

[rgn87]

I think they are very pretty looking

 

[Smartie_Pants]

I think they are very pretty also, it is just odd to look at them and know that they look NOTHING like either of their parents. There were five, but one died. The mother of these just hatched out 5 more yesterday. And I have a black and white muscovy female setting on a nest full of eggs to. I love them. I got them by mistake, and now they are my favorite!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

They sure are! I can't wait 'till I can have ducks!

 

[cwhit590]

I'm thinking maybe momma isn't pure white....more like a light lavender colored muscovy? Looks like she might be very pale gray w/ some of that light brownish color on her chest....can't tell for sure tho...

You know how with Swedish a Black X Splash = 100% Blue offspring? Maybe the same thing is going on here....I'm guessing the Black/White drake X Lavender-ish hen = Blue-ish babies.

Let us know how the other babies turn out.

 

[Smartie_Pants]

She was sold to me as a lavender, and she does have some VERY light gray on her. I don't really know much about color combinations, just with the blue swedes becase they were the first ducks I ever had and I have hatched SO many babies with them. The mother of those ducks just hatched out 5 more, and they look a little different than these babies did when they hatched, so I'll see how they grow up too.

 

[Bleenie]

Momma is a Silver and if daddy was a Black that is why the babies came out Blue. they're just gorgeous!

 

[cwhit590]

Ok...good to know she's a lavender....or silver....or uh.....not white?

With other blue poultry...
Black X Splash = 100% blue
Blue X Blue = 50% blue, 25% black, 25% splash
Black X Black = 100% black
Splash X Splash = 100% Splash

I'm guessing that...
Black/white Drake X Lavender/Silver Duck (like Splash) = 100% Blue babies
Black/white Drake X Black/white Duck = 100% Black/white babies

So if that works, it should at least be easy to tell which ducklings came from which hen...

But then again.....who knows if your ducks will follow the rules!

Guess time will tell.

I like the blue ducklings BTW. Nice looking birds.

 

[briarpatchfarms]

Muscovies are alot of times flock bred with several colors by some backyard breeders and the color genetics are often incomplete in the case you can breed white to white and not know what youll get! Where you got you muscovies do you know if they had different colors running in together???

 

[Smartie_Pants]

I got the mom from a man at a farm/flea market. He was breeding for several different colors. He said lavender, chocolate, and a few others. I take that to mean he seperated them to get the individual colors. I got the dad from a different man at that market who had bought them from someone else most likely. They were both ducklings at the time.