Mallard ducklings question

[ladyh]

This is my first mallard hatch.. Some or brown multi colored others are yellow. I only have male and female pair of mallards. Does the color indicate sex or color when grown?

 

[chickens really]

No.....You will need to wait....I think Bill colour with Mallards at day one indicates their sex...Dark are Drakes and light are Hens.....

 

[ladyh]

Are you for sure the yellow are hens?

 

[chickens really]

Bill colour....Not Duckling colour......I think ?.......

 

[ladyh]

Thanks for trying... I was hoping for someone that had experience with mallard chicks to know the difference why some are yellow and others are that brown streak.

 

[chickens really]

That is normal....They all end up maturing into the right colour once the feathers come in....

 

[ladyh]

I'm wondering if the yellow ones are hybrids. I just can't image a male muscovy mounting a small mallard female. If that's the case, then the yellows are sterile.

 

[chickens really]

Oh....My Call Drake breeds my big Buff Hen and My Appleyard bred my Call Hen... Yes....They can breed...

 

[ladyh]

Do you know the size of a muscovy drake? They are HUGE...about 15 lbs or more..he is huge. the mallard female is tiny..about 1.5 lbs.

 

[cluckintexan]

I would think the possibility of cross breeding would exist for them, but the size difference could pose some issues... then again it could make it easier... less of a fight with that much weigh...