interested in learning about Muskovy genetics

[Buck Oakes]

Darn....he is so pretty and friendy. I think he cam from when I had Pekins for a short time.
Here are some of the pics I took today: Of course now I have more questions!

THe female in the back is one of the first barred ones I bred. She shows the barring every time she molts. I would like to get them to STAY barred...is this possible?



Here is the one I wanted to take the pic of when I posted the Mule pic.



This is that female again. SHe doesnt have the black cap that I like but she does keep the bars pretty long!


One of the brown barred


Brown with cap


Pretty sure this is the same brown barred. I dont care for the mottled color down the neck however.



Another older girl that shows barring during molt


This is what I might worked toward next--brown or black with a ring-neck!


I checked out the beaks...I have dark with solid pumage or barred and light with both also! This isnt the pic I wanted of the group of sibs that show this clearly!


I think this is the head of the bird in the prev pic on the right. Almost looks like a Mule doesnt it?

I have to scoot to work but I will explain my thoughts tonight!
TerriO

ETA: my descriptions

Any thoughts?
I am wondering if I separate and breed barred to barred what would happen? Can someone explain how the barred genetics work? THX--TerriO

Sorry but barring doesn't stay it comes and goes usually when they molt like you pointed out. And even if you bred barred to barred some babies might not turn up barred but the majority of them will be. and mules re hard to say, some mules develop some red then they stop or don't develop any at all, if you could post pics of the ons you think are mules tun i can tell you

 

[learycow]

Any thoughts?
I am wondering if I separate and breed barred to barred what would happen? Can someone explain how the barred genetics work? THX--TerriO

Barred is recessive so you need 2 barred genes in order to get barred offspring. So breeding barred to barred will give you mostly if not all barred babies. The colors of them will be determined by the parent ducks.
Barred to a non-barred will ONLY produce barred offspring if the non barred parent is a barred carrier. Otherwise NONE of the offspring will be barred

 

[learycow]

Thanks Buck for the correction and also the offer of information! Here is what I am seeing...
I started with all white Muscovies. After breeding them for a few years I got a "blue" drake from someone that couldnt keep him. The next year I started getting interesting stuff happening with the babies. This was about 15 years ago...
So I decide that the "look" I want is a duck that has white wings, a black back, a black cap on it's head. I guess you would call them "Pied"?
I started selling off all my ducks that dont fit my ideal.
So the last couple of years I have added a few chocolates. Not much else. HERE IS THE QUESTION--I have been noticing some babies that look normal in the down but then feather out in stripes and then go to adult plumage. What is the significance in the stripes? Is there one? It seams that the striped ones turn out black and white. Although, this year some are turning out brown and white!

Many people that have come by to purchase ducks have wanted these striped birds(cause they look so cool) and I have told them that they do not stay striped. I have noticed no pattern...although I do not separate birds but let them pick their own mates...any ideas?
(what a mess? Right?)

Almost ideal



ideal babies
THis is all I can show you right now as the rest of the pics are on another computer. I will take some of the current young-stock tomorrow.
My main interest is why are these striped feathers showing up; why do they turn to solid black or brown; where do they come from; why do solid babies end up looking just like the striped ones as adults? (then do they carry the striped genetics?)

Way too many questions....can you help?
Thanks so much for looking in to my query!

TerriO

The first 2 ducks in these pics are not pure muscovy. They look to be mule ducks.

Barred babies will be solid yellow with a colored tail. The color of their tail (black, brown, gray, etc) tells you what color they will be once feathered.


Left to right: Blue, blue, blue, black, blue, black


Chocolate


Black

 

[learycow]

These three pics show some of my juvies (for sale if anyones interested). Blacks and blues


This is a 2 year old female. Most barred ducks lose the barring once they get their adult feathers. You may see some barring under the wings, but it's usually mostly gone. I have been selectively breeding to get as much barring as I can to stay. This hen is a perfect example of one that keeps her barring, it doesn't molt out like most


Juvenile blue barred


Chocolate barred hen, just over a year old. This is all the barring that shows on her as an adult.


2 black barred hens, 2 years old. Keep the barring that shows. The black hen behind them is 1 year old, also black barred, but shows almost no barring


The same blue juvie as above


A different chocolate barred hen, you can see some barring but not a lot, under the wing

 

[Terri O]

Yes that was a mule in the first pic I posted. I have taken more pics (later in the thread) of the RIGHT birds--LOL. Those mules were the only things I had on this puter...
I too have been trying to keep the barring all year...you can see some of my birds( or me) have been successful at it.
If I keep breeding barred to barred do you think there would be a chance to get a barred bird similar to a barred rock chicken? (that would be so cool)
Most of my babies are barred now....TerriO

 

[Buck Oakes]

The first 2 ducks in these pics are not pure muscovy. They look to be mule ducks.

Barred babies will be solid yellow with a colored tail. The color of their tail (black, brown, gray, etc) tells you what color they will be once feathered.


Left to right: Blue, blue, blue, black, blue, black


Chocolate


Black

Leary i would give you like 500 hundred dollars for a baby like that chocolate barred!, But i can't order out of state anymore since my farm has apparently ' been zoned into the city' and i can't order anymore birds, i would have to drive all the way up there and get it

 

[learycow]

Leary i would give you like 500 hundred dollars for a baby like that chocolate barred!, But i can't order out of state anymore since my farm has apparently ' been zoned into the city' and i can't order anymore birds, i would have to drive all the way up there and get it

Haha, I'd give it to you for $10

How do they enforce that rule? I'm just wondering as here, the birds I buy get sent to my local post office. That's where I pick them up and the postal workers could really care less about my address and have never asked about my zoning. And I know for a fact there are areas local to me that don't allow ducks or chickens.

 

[Buck Oakes]

For my city it's a new rule, since some stupid 30 year old woman moved into a neighborhood with 30 chickens and 20 ducks and moved them into a half acre backyard! That was so stupid of her I get that she loved them but because she had that many and that much noise, they took all of them or most of them away ! And had to euthanize some I think but I'm not sure. The rule was made last March, I think. so the rule is relatively new

 

[Terri O]

That is a bummer for you!

 

[Buck Oakes]

I know right, but i mean like were getting some call ducks and the city won't know since like were going to go get them a county or two over