New Here with New Ducks!

[LivinOnLove]

Hi Everyone,
We've learned alot here from all your discussions. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
We have had our ducks a little over a month now, and they are doing well. I wanted to share some pictures




For some more pictures of them, and our set up you can go here.

I don't know what kind they are. We were told what the brown ones and the black ones are, but we were so new to it that I need to reask. The white one (getting some color now) and the black/white one are mixed breeds.

They are such the silliest things

 

[Amiga]

Welcome to the Duck Forum! Beautiful flock!

 

[cosbackyard]

I pretty much only know one breed - khaki campbells. You don't have any of those in the mix, although the brown ones look just like them except for the stripes around the eyes. I think that makes them female mallards.

Congrats on the ducks. Mine are great at lawnmowing and fertilizing

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Are those Saxony ducks, or Mallards maybe, lower right? A Welsh Harlequin (white), Black Sweedish & Cayuga?

... Maybe? Just a guess. I do not own any of those breeds, so I'm no expert.

 

[LivinOnLove]

So I just found out the approximate ages and potential breed of our ducks!

The two black ones are Cayugas and are around 4 months old. They both have distinct curled tail feathers and have a garbled voice that is not loud, so they are both definitely drakes.
All the rest are around 3 months old.
The white one and the four brown ones are probably roans, I guess. One brown one is darker and has a greenish/blue stripe on the wing. (I haven't been able to here it's voice for sure yet) It is now, in the last couple days, losing it's pretty dark brown feather on it's chest/belly and it now turning a greyish color. I'm hoping that is molting I've heard about and hoping it's supposed to be this time of year? Otherwise, is it sick? Our white one is getting some really pretty dark brown on it's face/neck and chest. There are feathers all over the yard!
The black/white ones are a mix of roan and indian runners (the also was a male call in the flock, so could have some of that in any of them other than the black Cayugas)
I really have no idea what the full breed of any off these look like. I'm just going off of what I was just told tonight from where yet got them

When do they start laying eggs? I was told they probably won't until next spring. Do you need to feed them a specific diet in order for them to lay? I've read about ducks laying year round, but I've heard more of them only laying spring to fall?

I also been wondering if our ducks are going to be able to fly. I've heard/read that some are too big to fly so you don't need to clip their wings. I know the Cayugas get a pretty good lift off, but don't see to go up more them 5 feet or fly very far. So far the other pretty much just run along with them with a slight air lift for some of them. I really dont' want to put them through the stress of clipping wings if we don't need to.