My 2nd duck hen getting drake curl?

[LilyLoo]

Interesting! And I have heard of birds of various species changing genders when the ratios are uneven.

How old are they?

Just turned 6 years old in February. And Loo is if mallard decent.

 

[LilyLoo]

They are gorgeous. I wonder if this is hormonal? I'm not seeing the drake curl on the one your talking about. When we get older and hormones start waning things like this can happen just like in us women we can start having facial hair. Any eggs?

Thank you Miss Lydia. I never thought of hormonal so yes very possible. These 2 have been such a handful lol. I cant believe that we made it 6 years. And I cant believe that they are considered old now. What is a senior age for Khaki Campbells? Lily was laying until this winter she had a full molt this winter and Loo did not. So not sure now if Lily will lay again with her tail changing. She usually takes winter breaks. Her tail only shows one longer feather and it's going to curl like Loos I think.

 

[Canadian Wind]

I have pekin x khaki and khaki ducks carry the mallard , Rouen and runner genes
So I’ll be watching as my girls get older to see
I have one girl that the mom is pekin and dad is pekin x khaki. She is darker then all my other girls as they are usually chocolate and she has a green sheen to her head
She has had this since 6-7 weeks
I thought she was a boy at first cause of her green head and darker feathers but she quacks and lays eggs
The girl beside her is my usual brown I get form this mix and her dad is in pic 3

She is very pretty!

 

[LilyLoo]

I have pekin x khaki and khaki ducks carry the mallard , Rouen and runner genes
So I’ll be watching as my girls get older to see
I have one girl that the mom is pekin and dad is pekin x khaki. She is darker then all my other girls as they are usually chocolate and she has a green sheen to her head
She has had this since 6-7 weeks
I thought she was a boy at first cause of her green head and darker feathers but she quacks and lays eggs
The girl beside her is my usual brown I get form this mix and her dad is in pic 3

Such beautiful ducks! I can see why you thought she was a drake. How is her personality compared to the others? Loo has anxiety and has to know where I am.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you Miss Lydia. I never thought of hormonal so yes very possible. These 2 have been such a handful lol. I cant believe that we made it 6 years. And I cant believe that they are considered old now. What is a senior age for Khaki Campbells? Lily was laying until this winter she had a full molt this winter and Loo did not. So not sure now if Lily will lay again with her tail changing. She usually takes winter breaks. Her tail only shows one longer feather and it's going to curl like Loos I think.

https://www.hobbyfarms.com/what-is-the-average-life-span-of-a-duck-2/
I think all domestic ducks age differently so some might be old at 6 others middle-aged. But we all know when we get to middle age hormones can get whacky and it's called menopause. must be similar to ducks they lay like gangbusters when young but once they get around 3-4 laying is slowing down. Or they may stop laying altogether. I'd say depends on the breed. My Muscovy are 10 and 11 yrs old I didn't see a lot of eggs from these girls last year but they did lay, I figured since they will be 11-12 May and July that there most likely wouldn't be eggs but yesterday one laid the first ducks egg of the year. My Runners and Buffs are 3 and 6 yrs old and not had an egg from them since last Oct. No drake curl on any of them [yet]
today i got another Muscovy egg from one of my 11 yr olds. I am amazed. lol

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

Such beautiful ducks! I can see why you thought she was a drake. How is her personality compared to the others? Loo has anxiety and has to know where I am.

She is pretty good
My pekin mom is my one with the most anxiety
She doesn’t need to know where I am but she get so nervous about stuff
None of her kids are like this though
She doesn’t like changes
Im
Not sure if this is because her sister died and they were pretty much joined at the hip always right beside each other
But my khaki drake is a complete mess if he can’t be right beside my pekin
He won’t eat and just talks non stop
Maybe it’s a khaki thing ?
I have never seen a boy so in love with a girl like he is with her

 

[LilyLoo]

https://www.hobbyfarms.com/what-is-the-average-life-span-of-a-duck-2/
I think all domestic ducks age differently so some might be old at 6 others middle-aged. But we all know when we get to middle age hormones can get whacky and it's called menopause. must be similar to ducks they lay like gangbusters when young but once they get around 3-4 laying is slowing down. Or they may stop laying altogether. I'd say depends on the breed. My Muscovy are 10 and 11 yrs old I didn't see a lot of eggs from these girls last year but they did lay, I figured since they will be 11-12 May and July that there most likely wouldn't be eggs but yesterday one laid the first ducks egg of the year. My Runners and Buffs are 3 and 6 yrs old and not had an egg from them since last Oct. No drake curl on any of them [yet]
today i got another Muscovy egg from one of my 11 yr olds. I am amazed. lol

Thank you for the life span link. Gives me hope for many more years to come When Loo got hurt in 2021 I had contacted a vet and that doctor thought she was old then, for a duck. I couldn't believe it, I had read maybe 10+.

 

[LilyLoo]

She is pretty good
My pekin mom is my one with the most anxiety
She doesn’t need to know where I am but she get so nervous about stuff
None of her kids are like this though
She doesn’t like changes
Im
Not sure if this is because her sister died and they were pretty much joined at the hip always right beside each other
But my khaki drake is a complete mess if he can’t be right beside my pekin
He won’t eat and just talks non stop
Maybe it’s a khaki thing ?
I have never seen a boy so in love with a girl like he is with her

He sounds so sweet. I lock Loo and Lily up when I go to work and sometimes I sprinkle about a teaspoonful of crushed passion flower greens in her treat water I leave them to play in. Keeps her calm. On a bad day I add a small pinch of lavender flower and or crushed lemon balm leaf. I come home about 6 hours later and the girls are all sweet and sleepy and their room isnt trashed lol. It helps Loo be nicer to Lily when shes moody..And Lily appreciates it lol.