New to Ducks, and would love some help.

[missnu01]

Mallards...We have 4 from TSC. We let ours swim just a few days after we got them...It's funny but the first 2 we got will dive under and swim all around the tub in circles under the water...the next 2 we got a couple weeks later haven't gone under yet...where as the larger 2 still do...

 

[wildpeas]

I could be wrong but I've never heard of a TSC having Rouens. So... I'd say they are mallards.

Wildpeas, your Rouens have REALLY dark/defined eye stripes. That's interesting.

Here are my last year rouens all grown up.

 

[KKSM90]

I thought you all would enjoy a couple of videos.
First Swim:

Fallow Mama:

 

[Miss Lydia]

I thought you all would enjoy a couple of videos.
First Swim:

Fallow Mama:

Very cute video, but i have to tell you your cats made me nervous. They would probably get your ducklings I hope you are aware of that.

 

[KKSM90]

So far only one of the cats have been aggressive tord the ducks. The grey cat (Ghost) and the orange cat (Nippon) one have actually been protective of them. We never leave them alone with the ducks, they also have had chickens on the property that Nippon watches over on a leash. The other cat's don't leave the house. So we make sure their is little danger to the chicks and ducklings.

 

[shanniboo402]

They look like Rouen or mallard but round are the same just domesticated. They can normally start swimming within a week of birth as long as the water is warm and the air is warm. Hope some of my answers help

 

[jessiew33]

hi what is the niacin for? an where can you get it at?

 

[shanniboo402]

Niacin is a vitamin also known as b3 you can usually get it at your feed store or a health supplement store. But if you are using a reliable feed, most of them already have it in it.

 

[KKSM90]

More about the Ducklings:

 

[cymbaline]

You should be able to tell in the next couple of weeks if they're male or female; I believe around 4-6 weeks seems to be the time voices start changing. One of my girls honked around 4 weeks, the other started around 5. My boy's voice didn't change until at least week 6 though, maybe longer...it was very subtle. This is what you'll be listening for:

Back on the subject of Mallard vs. Rouen - I've never heard any of the reasons you mention as being a way to tell the difference. Size is by far the primary difference. Rouens are nearly the size of Pekins; Mallards end up about the size of a football or a little larger, lol. Here's a pic of my baby mallards at around the same age as yours, within a couple of days. Compare the size of mine next to a normal size bowl and see if yours aren't about the same size.


I found this image on google to illustrate the difference in size. Having only had experience with mallards, I thought for a while that my Bullwinkle was at least part Rouen because he's so much bigger than Rocky and has such a big butt, but in reality, he's only a pound more and just on the very high end of the normal weight range (3.5lbs). Had I seen a pic like the google image, I would've known better right away, lol. That drake on the left is huge compared to the one on the right.




As you can see, the coloring is practically identical between the two. Mallards also have brown and black feathers (well the girls do and the boys do while in eclipse plumage) and a slightly bluish rear end (see below).



Hope all of this info helps!