MALLARD THREAD...not rouens, Mallards!

[Miss Lydia]

Well here's Junior and a tiny layer of snow

Junior is beautiful @Kroelies

 

[Kroelies]

I like her too, and I'm a Mallard snob. She has very nicely penciled feathers. (The lighter lines around the feathers ) that is where 100 percent Mallards differentiate themselves. The length of bill, color of bill and the pencil ing can usually show the difference. Look at the Mallards you see in public ponds. They can hardly fly. A Mallard should be strong enough to be hard to hold. Lol You have a nice female and if she is tame good for you.

Walt

The mallards that live in my neighborhood look pretty ok. Some are fat but they all fly. Junior's mother is the white duck from my avatar. My mallards live with the "wild" ones outside in the ditch. At night they go out to search food, in the morning they return home. There is a lot of variety among them, so they are probably not pure breed mallards. 2 of my girls have a white chest and Junior's drake is brown with white on his chest, belly and wings. Makes it easier to keep 'em apart, so I don't really mind

 

[Kroelies]

Junior is beautiful  @Kroelies
 

Thanks so much

 

[fowlman01]

The mallards that live in my neighborhood look pretty ok. Some are fat but they all fly. Junior's mother is the white duck from my avatar. My mallards live with the "wild" ones outside in the ditch. At night they go out to search food, in the morning they return home. There is a lot of variety among them, so they are probably not pure breed mallards. 2 of my girls have a white chest and Junior's drake is brown with white on his chest, belly and wings. Makes it easier to keep 'em apart, so I don't really mind

There are always sports white and dark or black but Jr came out with excellent type and color. When the Mallards all look alike you need numbered bands. Lol

w

 

[NathanZee]

Just to add a little credibility to the "know it all" statement by mr quail. I have many more things that would add to my qualifications if needed. This is only for the lurkers though.




Okay.... true Mallards do not lay as described.

Next. Mallards are the chief carrier of Avian Influenza. Last year Avian Influenza was responsible for 49 million chickens and turkeys being destroyed. There has been AI discovered in Indiana a week ago. If you are raising chickens with Mallards you are just plain irresponsible. Even without the risk of AI waterfowl are dirty and that will cause problems with chickens that will not harm ducks. If your local AHPIS folks find out you have chickens with waterfowl you may have serious problems. This is not something you want to get into. I am also a CA Poultry Health Inspector. I can post that documentation as well if needed.

The only reason I am prolonging this matter is that it is highly irresponsible to talk about raising waterfowl with other kinds of poultry.......especially wild waterfowl if they are real Mallards. People call all kinds of things Mallards so I need to be clear...by using 'real" All domestic ducks with the exception of Muscovys will DNA as Mallards since that is where any duck that has a male sex feather came from originally.

Walt

But to be clear, real mallards won't just suddenly get AI for no reason and kill off a entire flock.

Well here's Junior and a tiny layer of snow

She is beautiful! Looks just like my Adaline!

 

[NathanZee]

This is Adaline, she was just finishing her molt in this picture so she doesn't look her best.

 

[fowlman01]

But to be clear, real mallards won't just suddenly get AI for no reason and kill off a entire flock. When chickens are exposed to Avian Influenza they will die very quickly but the ducks won't die. They just become carriers.

She is beautiful! Looks just like my Adaline!

AI rarely kills waterfowl, they are carriers of the virus. Unless you have them in an enclosed area they can get AI.
AI will kill the chickens in a couple days but the Mallards will look fine.
w

 

[MrChickMagnet]

Question: I have had a male and female Rouen with my 9 hens for about a year. At this point, assuming I don't add any more ducks, are my chickens in danger? If so, how?

 

[LeannS]

Question: I have had a male and female Rouen with my 9 hens for about a year. At this point, assuming I don't add any more ducks, are my chickens in danger? If so, how?

@ MrChickMagnet, welcome to BYC. You have came to the right site, for there is allot of knowledge available. Everyone does the best they know how and we all make our own choices to keep our chickens and ducks healthy.

Ducks are considered the pigs of the bird`s. Duck owners really have to love their ducks to put up with their mess.
Your chickens will not have clean water to drink if there is a duck in their pen.
On the other note, ducks are more parasite resistant where as chickens may have mites in their coop.
I love chickens and I love Ducks but I would not house them together. This is a great site to begin your crash course .
That is what I have been doing for the last 3 months.

 

[MrChickMagnet]

I free range my birds from 7 am and I lock there coop after they roost. The ducks have water they splash in outside the coop way away from the chickens feed and water. I do have to change their water quite more often since I added the ducks. But as far as the chickens having to put up with messy duck, they are all running around out in the yard. I am concerned about all my flocks health though. After having the ducks this long, are my chickens still at risk of any disease from my 2 ducks?