MALLARD THREAD...not rouens, Mallards!

[buff goose guy]

No problem i get asked the question alot

 

[The Great Ayam]

Hi, everyone! I currently have 3 mallards: 2 females and a drake. I wanted mallards mainly because I wanted to see them FLY. I really enjoy the whole wings and flight aspect of birds. To me, it looks beautiful. We do have some chickens that have really impressed me as well...like our bantam rosecombs. They have huge wings and literally just float to the ground when they jump down from somewhere or when you're holding them.
But, back to the mallards...I mean, this is a mallard thread, right?

Well, for a few reasons, we did clip their wings in the beginning (something I regret now). But, one of our female mallards has molted and grown her feathers again. Now she is really good at flying...she's great actually. She goes literally anywhere she wants, circles high above the barn, makes laps around the yard and lands quite well. She's getting very good and makes it look so easy. I love watching her fly around and come back again...
One crazy story...my daughter and I used to play with our mallard drake, tossing him into the air and watching him "fly"...and sometimes landed quite well...but not always. I thought he just needed more practice. However, here's the problem...one day I had a thought and decided to check. I discovered that his feathers had NOT molted, yet!

I just thought that if our girl could fly now, then the others must be the same. Oops. But, lesson learned. And, thankfully, our boy never got hurt. I am excited, though, for the day his feathers grow out again, so I can watch him fly, too!

 

[Spyderk117]

Here is the new duck coop being built!

 

[crawfordsgirls]

I have brand new baby full mallards would you like me to send a picture.

 

[buff goose guy]

Here is the new duck coop being built!

It's looking great

 

[crawfordsgirls]

Here are our mallards. Well for a typical mallard clutch there has to be at least eight for her to sit on them but it is usually eight to twelve This is Mochi and the Cheeps. Mochi either thinks she is a bantam now, or the Cheeps think they are Mallards now. Haha These mallard babies are for my grand kids, there are 5 of them, well 1 will be staying with us because it has something going on with its wing (see last pic). Here are the grand kids mallards ready to go to their new home at my parents house. Just waiting for their duck pen to be finished. Here (in front) is the little mallard that will be staying with us a little longer (if Mochi accepts her). She has a drooping wing. She is always picked on by the other ducks and I was told that it is because she has a tuft of feathers on her head??? Her name is Pom.

 

[Spyderk117]

It's looking great

Thank you!

 

[Spyderk117]

Here is an update on the coop. My Dad and I got the shingles on the roof and the cleaning/ access door!

 

[RellaBean2]

They are actually Rouens. The one that has a orange bill is a hen. Not sure about the other one though.

Just popping back in. I took a new picture today and even though 'she' still has a very orange bill there is definitely a green sheen to it's head. Is it safe to say 'she' is really a he?

By the way, don't mind the water. It was fresh this morning... Such mud babies.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Just popping back in. I took a new picture today and even though 'she' still has a very orange bill there is definitely a green sheen to it's head. Is it safe to say 'she' is really a he?

By the way, don't mind the water. It was fresh this morning... Such mud babies.

Don't go by the 'sheen' as a male indicator... I've seen many that shined green like that but are female... the head fuzz actually needs to molt out green to indicate male...