Mallards or Rouens?

[Miss Lydia]

Okay I give up why? In some pics they look small in other they look large .

 

[cymbaline]

I've had eight mallards over the years, no rouens, all from TSC (well except the two I rescued form the lake that I'm pretty sure the lady who "set them free" got from TSC). 3.7lbs is on the heavy side for a mallard for sure, but from the body shape I'd say what you have are mallards. They also may be a little older than you think. My boys didn't get their drake curl or greenish bill color until more like 10 weeks (ish).
Can your ducks fly? My Bullwinkle was a heavy mallard, about 4lbs, and he could barely get off the ground. If they can get more than a foot or two off the ground, 100% they're mallard. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the larger breeds can ever fly, even when they're young - they're just always too heavy for their wing size.

 

[hannuh_montana]

The back toe being removed is a regulation thing so if they come from a hatchery, it will be removed. Otherwise, I would think they could get in trouble and it affect their business. It isn't both back toes either. It is just 1. They will have a nub back there, just no nail, and the other foot will be normal. If they come from someone locally it could probably be different.
The size that I mentioned is an estimate and can always vary. It will give you a ballpark figure. If they are about 4lbs now, the females may gain another 1lb to 1 1/2lb. If you have a male, he will probably get 1lb to 1 1/2lb bigger than the females. I don't know how much mine weigh. Again, is a ballpark because it will depend on what they're fed as well as their environment and how much exercise they get. I don't know the age at which you would consider them full grown.

I'll have to double check their back toes. I don't think I looked closely at both, just saw one and went with it.

 

[hannuh_montana]

Okay I give up why? In some pics they look small in other they look large .

I know! It's so hard to get a picture that really shows size. That's why I took some of them 2 days ago beside a water bottle hoping that would help but even when I went through those pictures after I took them, it just depended on the angle if they looked smaller or larger. They're like 3.7-3.8 pounds right now.

 

[cymbaline]

Here's a comparison pic I'd found years ago with a male Rouen in the back and a female Mallard in the front, just to illustrate the size difference.
Also, a good shot showing how much bigger some mallards are than others - my Rocky and Bullwinkle. He seemed sooo much bigger than Rocky, but he was still nowhere near the size of a Rouen.

 

[hannuh_montana]

I've had eight mallards over the years, no rouens, all from TSC (well except the two I rescued form the lake that I'm pretty sure the lady who "set them free" got from TSC). 3.7lbs is on the heavy side for a mallard for sure, but from the body shape I'd say what you have are mallards. They also may be a little older than you think. My boys didn't get their drake curl or greenish bill color until more like 10 weeks (ish).
Can your ducks fly? My Bullwinkle was a heavy mallard, about 4lbs, and he could barely get off the ground. If they can get more than a foot or two off the ground, 100% they're mallard. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the larger breeds can ever fly, even when they're young - they're just always too heavy for their wing size.

I was thinking 3.7 might be heavy, but I feel like they eat a lot and since they're still inside, I'm not sure they're getting "enough" or the "typical" amount of exercise. I try to stay out for 2-3 hours in the evenings with them in the yard, and most of the day on the weekends, but I just feel like they're cooped up most of the time right now and maybe aren't "fit".

As for their age, we got them when they were 2 days old. In the 2 day old pictures I attached, do they look like they would actually be a few weeks old? They were tiny and fit in the palm of my hand. I couldn't imagine they would be much smaller. TSC said they were born on April 14th, and we brought them home on April 16th. But they also said they were mallards and if they're wrong, then I guess they could be wrong on the age. Take a look at the 2 day old pictures and let me know what you think.

As for flying, they aren't yet but I feel like they're definitely trying to. They flap their wings really hard and fast and kind of hop around on the ground and walk a little, like they're seeing if they can lift themselves off the ground. I thought it would be more like 10-12 weeks before they "could" potentially fly though. If so, and if mine are truly 7 weeks, it's too early. When they're old enough to fly, do they try for a while, like what mine are doing, or is it just instinct and once their flying feathers are in, they just go? If they're Rouen (and won't fly) and once they're old enough to, when I see them trying is that just confirming they're Rouen, that if they try and can't lift themselves off the ground? Or would they "try" for a little while and then it just works one day? lol... I clearly don't know how this works.

 

[hannuh_montana]

View attachment 2177129
Here's a comparison pic I'd found years ago with a male Rouen in the back and a female Mallard in the front, just to illustrate the size difference.
Also, a good shot showing how much bigger some mallards are than others - my Rocky and Bullwinkle. He seemed sooo much bigger than Rocky, but he was still nowhere near the size of a Rouen.

In comparison to the Pekin, that is certainly a small duck (mallard)! I've never had Pekin though so I don't know personally, but I've lots of pictures of people holding theirs under their arm and I kept thinking how in the world I would be able to hold mine like that because they don't seem big enough, or don't seem to have enough meat to grip them that way. Would you happen to have a picture of you or someone holding your mallards?

 

[CrazyCrttr75]

I was thinking 3.7 might be heavy, but I feel like they eat a lot and since they're still inside, I'm not sure they're getting "enough" or the "typical" amount of exercise. I try to stay out for 2-3 hours in the evenings with them in the yard, and most of the day on the weekends, but I just feel like they're cooped up most of the time right now and maybe aren't "fit".

As for their age, we got them when they were 2 days old. In the 2 day old pictures I attached, do they look like they would actually be a few weeks old? They were tiny and fit in the palm of my hand. I couldn't imagine they would be much smaller. TSC said they were born on April 14th, and we brought them home on April 16th. But they also said they were mallards and if they're wrong, then I guess they could be wrong on the age. Take a look at the 2 day old pictures and let me know what you think.

As for flying, they aren't yet but I feel like they're definitely trying to. They flap their wings really hard and fast and kind of hop around on the ground and walk a little, like they're seeing if they can lift themselves off the ground. I thought it would be more like 10-12 weeks before they "could" potentially fly though. If so, and if mine are truly 7 weeks, it's too early. When they're old enough to fly, do they try for a while, like what mine are doing, or is it just instinct and once their flying feathers are in, they just go? If they're Rouen (and won't fly) and once they're old enough to, when I see them trying is that just confirming they're Rouen, that if they try and can't lift themselves off the ground? Or would they "try" for a little while and then it just works one day? lol... I clearly don't know how this works.

They say they can fly around 14 weeks or so. This was my mallard, Luna. Unfortunately she was killed so I don’t have her anymore. Watching her fly around the yard was truly a sight tho.

This is a pic of her flock mates that I still have. The drake and middle duck are Rouen. I’m not sure what the light colored hen is. A Mix maybe. They are a couple years old or so.

 

[Isaac 0]

Okay I give up why? In some pics they look small in other they look large .

Mallards only have one stripe across the eye.

 

[AvianBrain]

I HAVE BOTH A ROUEN AND TWO MALLARDS THOSE ARE ROUENS
my rouen is 2 years old and is around 5 1/2 pounds they put on weight more gradualy than my mallards did, my mallards are two pounds, your birds have the "dubble eye stripe" robust body and the big fluffy heads like my rouen, the mallards are more sleek and tiny! like the size of a quarter gallon of milk! My rouen is about the size of a cat.