Miniature and Double-Crested Ducks

[christylynne11]

Just wanted to share a couple pics of my double-crested Cayuga-Rouen mix next to the Rouen cross that hatched the same day. I had bred my 2 Rouens, but ended up with mostly black and blue ducklings from them. Their size and color leads me to believe that a random call duck had a rendezvous with my Rouen female since the only adult male in my yard is a Rouen.

 

[Miss Lydia]

They are adorable. Make sure to give your duckling supplemental niacin. I’d rec Nutritional yeast. If your feeding chick started. They need the extra niacin to have strong legs and healthy brains. 1 Tab per each cup of feed

 

[christylynne11]

They are adorable. Make sure to give your duckling supplemental niacin. I’d rec Nutritional yeast. If your feeding chick started. They need the extra niacin to have strong legs and healthy brains. 1 Tab per each cup of feed

I always start my babies with supplements. The blue ducklings are tiny comparatively because the drake was an unknown wild duck. I'm 99% sure it was a loose call duck.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Too bad he didn’t stick around would have been nice to have seen this traveling salesman.

 

[christylynne11]

I guess he wasn't interested in living in a pen with just 3 ducks. I had a female Cayuga, female Rouen, and male Rouen roaming during the day but a coyote stole my cayuga while they were out enjoying the yard.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Aww sorry for your loss.

 

[christylynne11]

Aww sorry for your loss.

I've started to get used to it. My flock of 13 quickly dropped to 2 thanks to predators (especially the fox family living behind my house). I am now rebuilding my flock with a new closed-in chain-link pen with a 12" wood border around the base. I've hatched about 80 ducklings this season, working towards my new flock. All I need now is a WH female.

 

[christylynne11]

Updated photo of the babies at nearly 3 weeks. All hatched the same day.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Precious little and big ones

 

[katiebrock]

Updated photo of the babies at nearly 3 weeks. All hatched the same day.
View attachment 1844385

The big one and the little ones hatched on the same day?