I have two Chocolate runner hens. What color of drake do I need?

[Sebrightmom]

I have two chocolate runner hens. I would like to find them a drake to breed them to next year. My question is what color do I need. Can you breed Chocolate to other colors and still get a showable color?

THanks

 

[Sebrightmom]

Anyone? I was told that I could breed a black to a chocolate. Is this true?

 

[rainplace]

I guess it depends on what you're looking for and what sort of chocolate you already have. Do you have the chocolate with the green sheen?

If you breed the hens to a black drake you will get all black ducklings. Reading Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks, Dave Holderread says that the male ducklings from that mating will be chocolate carriers and if mated back to black the females of that mating have a 50% chance of being chocolate. If the black sons from the first mating are bred to chocolate than 50% of all the ducklings will be chocolate.

You would breed back to black for the sheen.

 

[rainplace]

oh oh oh.. this is cool...

A chocolate drake bred to a black female is a sex linked mating! black for boys, chocolate for girls!

 

[Sebrightmom]

Thanks for the information. My girls don't have green in them. I guess I would really like to find a chocolate male for more chocolates.

 

[kswaterfowl]

Black, Blue, Silver (Splash), Chocolate (Dun) can all be interbred. It just depends on what you want to hatch. I would probably find a black drake and cross it with your chocolate hens, blacks tend to be more "refined" and will give you the higher Runner type you should add to your breeding pens. I've seen some spectacular blues as well, but it all depends on what you can find. We have a trout Runner hen, but no grey or trout drake for her, she's mainly to enjoy at our place. Chocolates are available out there. There were two at the swap meet a couple of months ago with decent type. I wish I had known.
Hope it helps you.
PS: Ask your mom about leg color in the cayugas...I mentioned it to her, but I don't know if she remembered to tell you. It can really mess up the breeding pens, but it can be fixed easily too.

 

[TK Poultry]

hey heather how are my girls working out for you???? and i guess you could use black but i think to get chocolates it will take a couple breedings i would just get chocolate drake i think that would be easier!!!

PS if you breed them and hatch out ducklings i want to see pics i think that would be soooo kool!!!

 

[Sebrightmom]

I guess I will have to look for a black drake then. Jason, are you going to the Lebanon show. Maybe, you can help me pick up a good drake. I still need to learn about ducks on what to look for.

All of my cayugas have dark legs expect my silver and his legs are yellow. I just love my ducks.

I will show pictures of any ducklings that I hatch. I just really like having the ducks around.

 

[TK Poultry]

ducks are just great!! lol are you going to the Lebanon show??? Are you showing anything id love to see your birds im going to go to see what it is like i think im going to start showing next spring sometime....jw

 

[Sebrightmom]

Yes we are going to the show. I am not showing anything for myself. All of my Ameraucana in breeding pens. Matthew, my son, is going to show his two call ducks and his two silkies. He wants to show more but I think that is enough. Mom and Megan are showing a lot of birds. I still don't know how many yet.