Might have been dooped. Are these Cayugas?

[prncssprplfrog]

I posted about the ducks I just hatched in the hatching section & probably should have posted it here in the duck section.
Here's the link:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=350898

I really don't know what to do. Yes, they are adorable, but I picked Cayugas for a reason.
Any ideas?

 

[CityChicker]

They're most likely Cayugas. That is what I would automatically think if I didn't know. They are too big to be BEI and it is doubtful they are Black Swedish based on the coloration (of not only the down, but also the feet/bills). Are you questioning whether they are Cauygas because of the yellow in the down? If so, that is pretty normal. A lot of Cauyga ducklings have that. In my experience, Black Swedish generally (note that I said "generally", not "always") have much more yellow down which also frequently occurs on the wings (what will in most become the white primaries, although not all have this) and they also more often than Cauygas do not have solid black bills and feet as ducklings. Of course, some hatchery quality Cayugas may have those things as well.

Anyway, I remember seeing your thread yesterday. Didn't you have 6 shipped eggs, 4 of which developed to full term with these 2 hatching? If so, you did pretty well for shipped duck eggs. I would not be at all upset with the seller. I am not clear why exactly you would be upset with the seller, unless it is the yellow down? Maybe you can clarify.

 

[prncssprplfrog]

Quote:
I'm not totally upset at the seller and looking to find fault. Other than the very delayed shipping & the extra eggs that they said they would include & didn't, I just want to make sure that I got what I payed for. That's all. I have had no experience with ducks or duck eggs, but know the risks one takes with trying to hatch shipped eggs. Thank you for your experience. I was questioning because of the yellow down & the light colored eggs. I have looked at scads of online Cayuga pics, but didn't see many with as much yellow as mine have.

 

[CityChicker]

Ah... I understand. That frustrates me too when they say they will do one thing and then don't. That hatch rate is still very good for shipped duck eggs, especially having four that developed. I really wouldn't worry too much about the yellow down. I suspect they are indeed Cayugas. Unfortunately, it may be hard to to tell how much white they will or won't have until they begin to feather. I have seen some with yellow down feather out completely black. Of course, some Cayugas have some white even from their first feathering (separate from aging white, which increases with age). The egg shell color is also within the realm of what is normal for Cayuga eggs. Not all lay really dark eggs and even those that do get lighter throughout the breeding season. I will keep my fingers crossed for you that they are Cayugas! I know how disappointing it is for something to not be what you expected. Even if they are Black Swedish (which I doubt), they are great birds too. Mine were probably some of the calmest, quietest ducks I ever had. Still think they are Cayugas though!

 

[prncssprplfrog]

I may email the seller just to let them know the results of the hatch. They were shipped well, albeit 10 days later than expected.
I think they are so adorable. I know that I'm not supposed to pick them up much for the first few days so that they don't imprint too much, but they are so comfortable that they sit right in my hand and wont hop back into the tote.
I'll keep everyone posted as to how they feather out.

 

[maralynn28]

I'm no expert but they look a lot different than my cayugas, even though mine did have some yellow down even on chin...this looks excessive. Maybe they ARE cayuga but not all black? I'd love to see how they feather out! I hope they have the personality you are looking for, whatever breed they are.

 

[evonne]

just a note, you said you chose this breed due to noise factor, i have 3 rouen drakes, and even at their noisiest, i can't hear them more than 10-15 feet away from them..... definatley don't hear them in the house... one chicken is louder than my 3 ducks....
so the getting what you paid for issue aside, give them a chance, i've never had anyone say "do i hear ducks??" without a smile on their face...

 

[columbiacritter]

They look exactly like my cayugas did. I got rid of them though, they were toooooo noisy and one of them was astoundingly s-t-oo-p-u-d even for a duck. I will stick with my Khaki campbells.

 

[chasing ducks]

I got 2 black swedish and 2 cayugas in the same shipment and these look just like my black swedish, not at all like my cayugas. The cayugas were completely black with black feet.