Khaki Campbell Ducklings just hatched but some look more like Rouen.

[Josh Chicken Khaki]

We bought khaki hatching eggs from someone last spring and hatched them. 11out of 13 were male so kept the 2 females and bought another khaki drake off someone else for breeding. Or so we thought khaki. He has a brighter green head than they are suppose to it seems, but no white ring around neck and otherwise looks like a khaki. Our two females are for sure khakis. We now started hatching ducklings and some came out in the pictures looking like our last khaki ducklings, black/ dark brown look. But 4/10 came out lighter or with lighter stripes on face and some lighter dots on them as well. From what I see that resembles Rouen ducklings. My question is, 1. Do my ducklings look Part Rouen? Also is my drake possibly half khaki and half Rouen? Giving us some ducklings that look more Rouen. The guy we got them off had all kinds of breeds. Can’t remember but he probably had Rouens as well. First pictures are our new ducklings and last pictures are the new drake that is the father and could be a cross? Help me out if you can. He said it was a khaki, but maybe he lied or didn’t even know for sure being that he had so many breeds. Says he separates in spring but who knows. Do all khaki Campbell ducklings look one solid colour like a dark brown? That’s how all my first ducklings looked. Thanks in advance or any help!

 

[JedJackson]

The drake is a mixed breed, definitely with some Rouen in him, and maybe Khaki or buff duck, too. You can tell this not only by his coloring (you are right about the green head, that is not right for a khaki) but also by his heavier, low to the ground build. That is why you are getting mixed colors with your ducklings. They are mixed breeds, not pure khakis, because of the father.

That doesn't mean they won't be good, productive ducks, but if you want pure khakis, you are going to have to get a pure khaki drake.

 

[Josh Chicken Khaki]

The drake is a mixed breed, definitely with some Rouen in him, and maybe Khaki or buff duck, too. You can tell this not only by his coloring (you are right about the green head, that is not right for a khaki) but also by his heavier, low to the ground build. That is why you are getting mixed colors with your ducklings. They are mixed breeds, not pure khakis, because of the father.

That doesn't mean they won't be good, productive ducks, but if you want pure khakis, you are going to have to get a pure khaki drake.

The picture does make his head look a little extra green in the lighting. But if he was Rouen cross would he not have at least a bit of a white ring around the neck? He does look very similar to what my pure khaki drakes did look like before I put them in my freezer. I should have just kept one of them for mating but didn’t want to cross breed ever. If this is the case I’m pissed because I had a feeling from day one when I picked him up he wasn’t pure. Should have questioned it more. The only plan was to breed and sell pure khaki Campbell’s. Now I’m stuck with mutts! FFS! I want them for their good egg laying and Ruens ruined it with their poor egg laying! Hahaha so your saying if pure khaki Campbell’s the ducklings will never come out different looking?

 

[JedJackson]

Khaki campbell ducklings should be a solid dark khaki color without eye stripes. I think your male is a cross because, as I said, he looks too heavy and his head is too green. Khakis should be light weight, and they should never have a low to the ground appearance. This is how a khaki campbell drake should look

 

[Josh Chicken Khaki]

Khaki campbell ducklings should be a solid dark khaki color without eye stripes. I think your male is a cross because, as I said, he looks too heavy and his head is too green. Khakis should be light weight, and they should never have a low to the ground appearance. This is how a khaki campbell drake should look like

Thanks for your help! Your right I’m just in denial I don’t want to believe it! How well do you think the females will end up laying if there are 3/4 khaki 1/4 Rouen? And do you think many people will still be interested in buying them. I think I need to find another drake. Took so long to get mine to mate properly to get fertilized eggs I’ll post another couple pictures of the drake I just took now. He even has some faint green in his tail that I don’t think khakis are suppose to have. The first picture I posted there he is laying down tho. He does stand upright decently most the time but maybe not as much as a khaki should.

 

[Weeg]

Rouen drake-

Your drake-

Khaki Campbell drake-

Definitely looks like a mix.

 

[JedJackson]

It really depends. The new picture makes it clear that your drake isn't purebred khaki, but it is not as heavy as I thought, so maybe it's a cross with Welsh Harlequin or some other layer breed. How much his ducklings end up laying is something that only time will tell, but I bet they are still decent layers.

I'm surprised you have trouble getting them to mate. Drakes aren't usually shy. It's possible they are doing it when you don't see it. Also, ducks don't mate much in late summer, fall or early winter. Spring is their most 'active' season. So that could be it.

There really isn't anything wrong with crossbred ducks. They can be just as productive as the pure breeds. I would just take a wait and see attitude-- you might be pleasantly surprised.

 

[Josh Chicken Khaki]

It really depends. The new picture makes it clear that your drake isn't purebred khaki, but it is not as heavy as I thought, so maybe it's a cross with Welsh Harlequin or some other layer breed. How much his ducklings end up laying is something that only time will tell, but I bet they are still decent layers.

I'm surprised you have trouble getting them to mate. Drakes aren't usually shy. It's possible they are doing it when you don't see it. Also, ducks don't mate much in late summer, fall or early winter. Spring is their most 'active' season. So that could be it.

There really isn't anything wrong with crossbred ducks. They can be just as productive as the pure breeds. I would just take a wait and see attitude-- you might be pleasantly surprised.

Thanks for all the help. Weeg you too. It does for sure look crossed. I have already found and arranged a pure khaki drake I can pick up if and when I want. Still on the fence. He is a beautiful bird. I do like the greener head for looks. Doesn’t help egg production tho...yea oh he tried mating everyday but was humping them sideways and didn’t know how to “get it in” well say lol Funny enough the females were trying to mate with one another and had the form down perfectly! Have some videos it’s funny. I said they were trying to show the male how to do it properly. But he mates with them every day all winter, especially after I fill their kiddie pool! Anyways idk if I should swap out the drake, keep the one I got. Will it take awhile for the girls to be comfortable with the new drake? That will delay my duckling production that just started. Do I just get hatching eggs off someone and raise new pure breeds and get my pure khaki breeding going then and continue mating the drake I have in the meantime. My plan was to keep 40 duckling that I hatch to have 20 female ducks for breeding/ eating eggs. Eat most of all drakes and get new bloodline drake to mate with them.... what would you do?? Cause I’m undecided. This messed up my plan.... thanks again

 

[JedJackson]

That's funny, but it sounds like your drake has finally figured it out.

As far as what you should do, you have to decide for yourself. If it was me I would keep the drake you have and see what happens with the ducklings, how they lay, etc. and then make a decision. Worse case scenario you have good meat birds, right? But If having purebreds is important to you, then maybe go with the other drake.

But if you do get a new drake, it will be a while after you remove the old drake before you can be sure that the new drake is the father of the ducklings. Female ducks can store semen for a few weeks, and so it takes a while to be sure of parentage. And that is time lost.