New Ducklings: Help with identifying breed

[FortCluck]

I'm no expert on duck breeds, still not sure if my white adults from TSC last spring are Pekins or White Layers. But based on ducklings I've seen at our TSC, my experience with TSC employees and their "knowledge" about the ducklings/chicks they have in stock and the ducklings we hatched this year ("too many"), I would guess these ducklings aren't the same age. Our TSC has a tendency to give discounts like that when they have ducklings that have been around for close to a week and they want to get them out. The smaller two look like they probably came in with a shipment this week and the bigger one was probably from last week.
I had a staggered hatch from eggs we took from our broody Pekin/White Layer (whichever) after finding dead ducklings in her nest. We had 10 eggs and it took about 15 days for all of them to hatch. The smallest looked like they could have been a different breed compared to the ones that hatched first. They start off standing nice and tall and then start getting that forward posture as they get bigger. They also tend to get clumsy and stompy as they get a little bigger. Since the normal coloring can range from yellow to yellow with ruddy markings, it makes it extra confusing. Our ducklings all had different shades of markings and all (except one with a black eyebrow) are solid white or creamy white now, and all came from the same "Pekin" parents.

They were selling them at discount because they had a new shipment in. The bigger one has leg issues (it's getting better every day), I told my spouse that I'm determined to buy ducks in that condition every time I see them, it's not fair to them at all.

I am thinking they're probably different ages, but the biggest looks completely different in the eyes/body but I honestly know nothing about ducks except what I've read or seen growing up. The two smaller ones are still standing upright like a runner, I'm not sure how long it'll be until I truly know what they are...

 

[FortCluck]

A sure sign of having a Pekin duck or a duck with some Pekin heritage is the appetite: I am sure that Blanca, one of my White Layers has a lot of Pekin genes in her. Sometimes the wind accidentally shuts the door to the duck-house so they can't get to their pellets during the day. It is those evenings when Blanca falls asleep with her head in the feeder:

Another sign for Pekin are the more massive legs.

The massive legs are what Pickles has, it also happens to be the loudest duck. We thought there was another copperhead in the yard last night... Nope, just Pickles demanding to be brought into the duck house.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Thank you! Is there a big enough difference in weight between the breeds for that to help determine breed? I was considering trying to weigh my older adults but wasn't sure it was worth the effort. My EXTREMELY spoiled 2.5 month old weighed 3.6 lbs earlier this week. My adults don't usually seem super interested in their pellet or crumble food. They seem to prefer rooting around in the dirt or my plants. But they don't seem worse about it than my others. They're Cayugas, Khaki Campbell's and Rouens.

My duck breed chart says White Layers 2.0 - 2.6Kg (4.4 - 5.7lbs) and Pekins start at 3.4 Kg (7.5 lbs). So you will see if it is a Pekin!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

The massive legs are what Pickles has, it also happens to be the loudest duck. We thought there was another copperhead in the yard last night... Nope, just Pickles demanding to be brought into the duck house.

Multiply that times 24! - That's what i have to endure if i am late with the supper bowl…

 

[FortCluck]

Multiply that times 24! - That's what i have to endure if i am late with the supper bowl…

They're so much louder than chicks. I definitely want more in the future!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

They're so much louder than chicks. I definitely want more in the future!

Only one thing is better than having ducks: More Ducks!

 

[katiebrock]

A sure sign of having a Pekin duck or a duck with some Pekin heritage is the appetite: I am sure that Blanca, one of my White Layers has a lot of Pekin genes in her. Sometimes the wind accidentally shuts the door to the duck-house so they can't get to their pellets during the day. It is those evenings when Blanca falls asleep with her head in the feeder:

Another sign for Pekin are the more massive legs.

I love me some Blanca Duck!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I want to see her in motion!!

 

[KCNC06]

Only one thing is better than having ducks: More Ducks!

I completely agree...yet whenever anyone (family or neighbors) ask how many ducks/ducklings we have after the crazy hatching season, I hesitate to answer. My husband and sister say "too many". To my husband's credit on his response, I won't tell him how many we had hatch this year and they don't stay still long enough for him to count. I think we had 19 Pekin/White Layers, and 11 Cayuga, Khaki Campbell, Rouen ducklings hatch. And we recently discovered our dang Super Broody had stashed away another secret nest! I'd like to add some new breeds/colors next spring but I think "too many" may be an accurate number of ducks at our house right now.

 

[KCNC06]

My duck breed chart says White Layers 2.0 - 2.6Kg (4.4 - 5.7lbs) and Pekins start at 3.4 Kg (7.5 lbs). So you will see if it is a Pekin!

Well, based on this I decided to bring the scale to the back deck so I could weigh one of our adult white ducks. Happened that Big Daddy was the easiest to catch. Boy was I surprised when I stepped on the scale! He weighed a little over 5 lbs! Since he's the biggest of our adults I'm guessing my Pekins are White Layers. No wonder my mom didn't believe me when I told her my Pekins weren't much bigger than my Cayuga, Rouen and Khaki Campbell's. Do White Layers ever get orange bills though? If I'm remembering correctly, 3 or 4 of the ducklings have orange bills, like the color of their legs, and the rest are more pink.