MALLARD THREAD...not rouens, Mallards!

[RellaBean2]

Does one of them have a problem with their foot?

Yes, that's Pepper. His/her foot was deformed when hatched. There is nothing "fixable" about it (no infection) and doesn't cause any issues in walking so we are just letting it be.

 

[buff goose guy]

Ok, if she is fine that is great .

It could have been fixed very early on with appropriate therapy and niacin. There is very little that can be done now, but thats just info for future reference as if she hatched that way it's usually genetic and any offspring could get the same problem to a much larger degree.

 

[RellaBean2]

Ok, if she is fine that is great .

It could have been fixed very early on with appropriate therapy and niacin. There is very little that can be done now, but thats just info for future reference as if she hatched that way it's usually genetic and any offspring could get the same problem to a much larger degree. 

Thanks for the advice! All our ducks were on extra niacin from the beginning but it didn't seem to help. Pepper is happy though and we don't plan on adding any ducklings to the mix so we won't be passing on those genes

 

[Lilki]

After rescuing one mallard and having to give it up to Project Wildlife, we decided we had to have more. We got two of them. This is Quacksy. She's around six weeks old now. Growing so fast!!

After reading the posts on a previous page I'm wondering if I have a true mallard or a rouen. I got them from a feed store. I know if I'd have gotten them from Metzger Farms they would've removed the back toe so you could prove it's not wild. On mine, though, they were not marked in any way.

How does one tell the difference between mallards and rouens, other than size. I've never had either of them before so I have no way to properly gage the size.

 

[RellaBean2]

One last question... Our drake, Ollie, looks a bit different from the others. Does he look like a standard Rouen?

Here he is with the others (back right)

 

[Spyderk117]

After reading the posts on a previous page I'm wondering if I have a true mallard or a rouen.  I got them from a feed store.  I know if I'd have gotten them from Metzger Farms they would've removed the back toe so you could prove it's not wild.  On mine, though, they were not marked in any way.  

How does one tell the difference between mallards and rouens, other than size.  I've never had either of them before so I have no way to properly gage the size.

Yes you have a true Mallard. Rouens have two eye stripes and Mallards have one eye stripe

 

[buff goose guy]

One last question... Our drake, Ollie, looks a bit different from the others. Does he look like a standard Rouen?

Here he is with the others (back right)

He looks a bit more production like to me as well.

 

[Spyderk117]

Here is the picture I promised! So this is Pippin aka Buddy molting his juvenile feathers!
I am really excited!

 

[NathanZee]

Here is the picture I promised! So this is Pippin aka Buddy molting his juvenile feathers!
I am really excited!

He's looking very fluffy right now! I can see some silver-white feathers in there though! My drake Zambia is almost finished molting out of eclipse and into show plumage, he has the new feathers underneath the old ones, just waiting for them to fall out! In 2-3 weeks Pippin should look like him, then a week or so and he will be done! I'm guessing your hens are molting into their adult plumage too? They don't change a whole lot, but they will be lighter colored and more graceful looking.

 

[Spyderk117]

He's looking very fluffy right now! I can see some silver-white feathers in there though! My drake Zambia is almost finished molting out of eclipse and into show plumage, he has the new feathers underneath the old ones, just waiting for them to fall out! In 2-3 weeks Pippin should look like him, then a week or so and he will be done! I'm guessing your hens are molting into their adult plumage too? They don't change a whole lot, but they will be lighter colored and more graceful looking.

Yeah there are a lot of feathers in the coop. It looks like a duck died in there! Zambia looks amazing! Okay I can't wait! Yes they are molting I was confused at first I thought it was just the drakes that molted into the adult feathers.