I Hear DUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[walkswithdog]

LOL we lead scarily parallel lives... chuckle

I think GP's are just about IT in the dog world. I've had perhaps 100 dogs here as pets, rescues, for training or rehab, and worked with thousands more and GPs just really do it for me. I tended to herders because of their thought and energy but none of them can out think the Pyr pup. I'm awed every few days with the things she picks up on. And she's still a baby.

 

[MagsC]

Yeah, I grew up with dogs and there is no equal to the Pyrs. Of course mine is half Old English Mastiff but I think he acts more like a Pyrenees.
I do love all sorts of curs, some German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, Akitas,mostly the A type personality dogs. My Chow/Shiba Inu should be considered a double A personality,lol.

 

[MagsC]

The duckling that hatched last so far is the only black one in the whole group. I did get one crested as well. I laughed because he/she looked like there was a little bit of fluff on top of his/her head!

 

[Calebs Acre]

I only have one black drake and one black hen in my current breeding pen, so I get a much lower ratio of blacks to anything else, so they always go first when people come to pick them up.

But I have a trio of juvenile runners with the crested gene...but one is not crested and two have just that cowlick like Alfalfa, straight up, from the side of their crowns. They look sooooo silly, but I love them. They were born around March 1st, so I know they should soon be coming into their own for breeding..... I hope.

I am going to put my black uncrested male and female with the two crested females and PROBABLY put the black crested male with two of my non-crested chocolate females. Then, I have two non-crested males to put with my two crested females and two non-crested females. That leaves a fawn and white crested male to put with one non-crested chocolate female and a very nice white non-crested male without a partner......maybe I can "borrow" a non-crested female for him until more grow up? LOL. There will be a test later on this. I don't think even I could remember what I just wrote!!!

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Congrats!

I have ducks hatching also. Mandarin ducks. 4/6 of mine are pipped.

Good Luck with the rest of yours.

 

[MagsC]

If you do as well with cresteds as you do with the other ones, and I am sure you will, you will have nothing to worry about!!

My blue swedish are supposed to be crested but if I recall correctly they dont all come out crested?
Oh and thank you Chelsea!!!! Congrats on yours as well!

 

[Calebs Acre]

OH, mandarin ducks, how exciting! Aren't they tough to hatch? But, I know you are a true hatching pro!!!!!

I was told if I have a crested and non-crested pair to expect it to be 50/50 from THAT pair. But, if you are getting shipped eggs, you are getting eggs, usually one, from each pair, so you cut the odds down considerably.

ETA: (and I edit almost EVERY POST).....did someone say turkeys awhile back? I have two.... week old Bourbon reds and they are already getting feathers on their wings. Two is the number, week old is the age, as in one week old. LOL. I want MORE TURKEYS!!! SEND ME MORE TURKEYS!!!! I want Calico or Sweetgrass turkeys!!

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I dont have cresteds, but I love them.

Are you supposed to use a crested drake over non crested hens, because breeding crested to crested causes skull deformaties?


I was told Mandarins are impossible to hatch in an incubator. But I have 4/6 pips so far, so I highly doubt that. I also cooled them and misted them ever day starting on day 10.

 

[Calebs Acre]

I'm just now learning....I just heard crested to non-crested, not necessary any sex directive but the reason is skull deformities resulting in deaths in approximately 25% of the hatch, if you believe in the stats.

I got a HUGE pile of eggs...I think 20...and I only got about 3 crested from the group, but there were some great colors. So, I ordered more, and am going to see if the odds improve. LOL.

I also got some juveniles from Evermore Ranch and the fawn and whites look like Albert Einstein, they have such nice crests!!!

I love them too. You'll have to come visit if you come down from upstate. Just don't fall over from laughing when you see how small my yard is for all of my birds!!

 

[MagsC]

Yeah, I think cooling them after the 10th day is key in duck eggs? I did it religiously,lol.
Mandarins are beautiful!! Someday....

I still have lots to learn.