Odd Khaki Campbell drake

[Dances with Ducks]

Wow! Keep posting those photos as he changes please! But how do you know he wasn't a mix - or a mix-up?

 

[ChaosTheory]

It's all completely guesswork

I'll never know for sure what they are exactly if they aren't pure campbells, and even if I did it wouldn't change anything about them. I'm basing my guess off of Huey along with one of our only two female campbells "Daphne."

Daphne with two of our drakes

Daphne is a stunner of a duck, but doesn't conform to Khaki Campbell standard: she's much too light! I figure her and Huey may come from the same clutch, which would be an answer to all my queries ^_^ What do you think?

 

[CityChicker]

Well, one thing is for sure- they are absolutely beautiful. I *love* Daphne's coloration. Does your drake with the unusual color have blue wing speculums? I can't tell in the picture. That might tell a lot.

The last couple pictures you posted though look like the birds have blue dilution. Is it possible that the people you got the birds from also had Buff Orpingtons?

 

[Dances with Ducks]

This is interesting, those patterns on her feathers really do resemble Welsh Harlequins!

 

[ChaosTheory]

That's the best picture of the blue Huey had on his wings, which he seems to have lost in his molt

None of the other ducks had it at all.

 

[Wifezilla]

This is interesting, those patterns on her feathers really do resemble Welsh Harlequins!

That's what I was thinking​

 

[ChaosTheory]

Quote:
The hatchery we got these bad boys from is really good with keeping breeding stock seperate and being professional, but you never really know. I'm just speculating on why they are different from most of the Khaki Campbells I've seen =]

 

[CityChicker]

Wow! That is so interesting. The drake obviously has blue speculums, which means he doesn't carry brown dilution. Both Khaki's and Buffs (which could create the overall soft blush of the feathers on your duck) have the brown dilution genes, but they are sex-linked so it is entirely possible that a drake might not carry the gene especially if a bloodline is newer.

I agree that the hen looks very similar in pattern to a Welsh Harlequin, just darker. The original WH were called Honey Campbells because they were the color of honey. Your duck definitely looks that color to me so they may just be a naturally occurring mutation.

I am really inclined to think that your female carries harlequin and blue dilution genes. The most similar duck that also carries those genes would be a Blue Headed or Silver Headed Australian Spotted and your hen looks almost identical to my female Blue Headed Aussies. Take a look at the female on the Holderread page to see what I mean....

http://holderreadfarm.com/photogallery/australian_spotted_page/australian_spotted_page.htm

I would love to end with a duck like that in Campbells! Some people have all the luck! LOL

 

[CityChicker]

You know what- now that I think about it- Fawn and White Runners *also* carry the Blue dilution genes. That and your one drake definitely looks more like wild type (like Mallard or Rouen) than dusky like a Khaki (none of which is bad at all).

The original Campbells were created from Rouens crossed with a Fawn and White Runner. The offspring were one year then outcrossed to a Mallard and then again back to a Fawn and White Runner. The only thing is that the Runner used was really what we call a Pencilled Runner in the US. Our Fawn and White Runner here in the states is the UK version of a Pencilled Runner plus two blue dilution genes.

I wonder if it is possible the hatchery you purchased from was developing a new line of Khaki Campbells, but used a US Fawn and White Runner instead of a Pencilled Runner. That would literally explain all of the coloration of your birds. How lucky for you though! I would be thrilled to get a duck that looked like that (as I am sure you are). They are beauties.

 

[Pearsandgrapes]

Quote:
Four of my five Khaki girls look a lot like Your Daphne. Two have the green beaks, and two have an orange/orange brown mix beak. I think they are so beautiful!
When I first saw your drake in question I wondered if he didn't carry the mutation in color that lead to the W.Harlequin.
Both your Daphne and Huey are just gorgeous! Where did you get yours? Mine are from Ideal.