Please, show me your ducks

[Papaye]

I don't plan to add a drake, since I free range them with my chickens I couldn't do that if I had a drake.

I freerange all of my ducks with my chickens, except when hormones are out of control...
Could you not just do the same - keep a drake apart from the chickens during mating season only...?
(...Not sure a drake that has 6 girls would end up frustated enough to try raping the chickens, even in spring/summer...?)

That's a shame you are not enjoying all the benefits of owning ducks!
I'm sure whatever drake you would choose for your girls, the babies would just end up being the prettiest...!

I ordered all females and got that, I'm so surprised and glad because I have bad luck with that sort of thing!

That's surprising!

When I bought my first ducks, I asked for 1 drake and 3 hens, and I got 2 drakes and 2 hens instead...
I am NOT accusing the seller to have been voluntarily mistaken, but still, I have learnt a LOT of breeders (pretend to) do so in order to get rid of their extra drakes (AND that it is not limited to France)...

These are my runner ducklings that I hatched from Dusky Feather Waterfowl. I had ordered 3 Apricot Trout ''Project'' and 2 whites. I'm wondering what my 3 Apricot Trout Project will look like!

They are cute...!!

The black one should be a Black Runner or a Dark Dusky Runner...
(If ever this little one is a Dark Dusky... wow - just wow...!)

The black and white one, with eyestrips, look to be Grey/Mallard coloured...

And the yellowish one, below in the picture, could be Blue Trout.
...Actually looks Harlequin/Snowy, but I can not be sure; and after looking at a picture of a Blue Spotted Dusky duckling, I can only imagine a Blue Trout duckling would actually look exactly like the one you have here...

 

[Tookie]

I freerange all of my ducks with my chickens, except when hormones are out of control...
Could you not just do the same - keep a drake apart from the chickens during mating season only...?
(...Not sure a drake that has 6 girls would end up frustated enough to try raping the chickens, even in spring/summer...?)

That's a shame you are not enjoying all the benefits of owning ducks!
I'm sure whatever drake you would choose for your girls, the babies would just end up being the prettiest...!

You might be right, maybe he would leave all the chickens alone if he's got 7 hens. But not sure I want to risk it. Also, not sure if this is correct, but won't drakes and roosters not get along?

If I could have a drake I would! Its just that if he didn't work out I don't have the right set up to separate the ducks and chickens when free ranging.
I also don't have an incubator, and don't like dealing with males...
Like I said, if I could have a drake I would.

That's surprising!

When I bought my first ducks, I asked for 1 drake and 3 hens, and I got 2 drakes and 2 hens instead...
I am NOT accusing the seller to have been voluntarily mistaken, but still, I have learnt a LOT of breeders (pretend to) do so in order to get rid of their extra drakes (AND that it is not limited to France)...

It is!

I think when ordering females its likely you'll get at least one male...lol.
I'm sure breeders do sneak in drakes to get rid of them.

 

[Papaye]

Hi!

You might be right, maybe he would leave all the chickens alone if he's got 7 hens.

Yeah, right... 7 hens is better yet! (...I was tired when I wrote my post!)

Also, not sure if this is correct, but won't drakes and roosters not get along?

...No...?
They actually don't care about each other.
(I had a drake that attacked one of my rooster (Apache) ONCE, but it was during mating season, and this drake was frustrated because he was separated from the females... so, he eventually took it on the poor boy.)

It would seem, in my opinion, like roosters don't even try defending their hens from being raped by drakes because drakes can not fertilize chickens' eggs, and so, are not worthy to be considered as rivals...?
And since drakes are not predators, roosters just don't seem to see them as a threat for their girls...?

If I could have a drake I would! Its just that if he didn't work out I don't have the right set up to separate the ducks and chickens when free ranging.
I also don't have an incubator, and don't like dealing with males...
Like I said, if I could have a drake I would.

Apart from mating season, there is no reason for a drake to cause much problems...

Is it complicated to give drakes away, where you live?
If it is not the case, you could always bring home a drake that would very be easy to re-home if it did not work out, such as a Cayuga drake : people generally don't want drakes, it's true; but Cayuga drakes are actually so popular they are easy to give away if needed.
(At least in France : Cayugas are easy to give away here, since they are so beautiful and, thus, there are a lot of demands for them... even without their female counterparts!)

Would be a shame you would not be able to have a drake even though you want one so much...!!

I'm sure breeders do sneak in drakes to get rid of them.

Some of them do, indeed...!
But that's irresponsible : if they want the best for their birds, they should not deceive buyers and sell them males instead of females...
After all : what would happen if someone eventually owns too many males (because of a mistake from a seller), but has no mean to separate them from their girls if needed...? Injured ducks, or worse : dead ducks...

 

[ILoveMyDucks123]

I freerange all of my ducks with my chickens, except when hormones are out of control...
Could you not just do the same - keep a drake apart from the chickens during mating season only...?
(...Not sure a drake that has 6 girls would end up frustated enough to try raping the chickens, even in spring/summer...?)

That's a shame you are not enjoying all the benefits of owning ducks!
I'm sure whatever drake you would choose for your girls, the babies would just end up being the prettiest...!



That's surprising!

When I bought my first ducks, I asked for 1 drake and 3 hens, and I got 2 drakes and 2 hens instead...
I am NOT accusing the seller to have been voluntarily mistaken, but still, I have learnt a LOT of breeders (pretend to) do so in order to get rid of their extra drakes (AND that it is not limited to France)...



They are cute...!!

The black one should be a Black Runner or a Dark Dusky Runner...
(If ever this little one is a Dark Dusky... wow - just wow...!)

The black and white one, with eyestrips, look to be Grey/Mallard coloured...

And the yellowish one, below in the picture, could be Blue Trout.
...Actually looks Harlequin/Snowy, but I can not be sure; and after looking at a picture of a Blue Spotted Dusky duckling, I can only imagine a Blue Trout duckling would actually look exactly like the one you have here...

For my yellow one, I also thought of harlequin or snow, it resembles to my Welsh Harlequins when they were ducklings, but even paler. So might be snow, I would like that!

As for the black one, I just checked the website, and you're right, it looks like the dark dusky phase... It will be interesting to see in a couple weeks! I'll come back with pitcures

 

[Yard Farmer]

Cute drake : Rouen are amazing because they look so much like big Mallards...

Bur you Khaki Campbell hen... God : this breed is just one of the most beautiful, in my opinion...
The so rich brown feathers, and their overall appearance...

...I am trying to get some Khaki Campbell ducks myself : I have put eggs I bought online underneath a broody hen, and the wait is just terrible...
I hope the eggs will hatch, and if so, the Khaki Campbell ducklings I get from them will purebred, and grow up to be as beautiful than your hen!

Thank you for this picture.
Your drake and you hen make a splendid pair! Do they have babies, by any chance...?

I know! That's why I like them.
I've always been a huge fan of wild type feather patterns.

Yes, I also really like the breed. I like the dark brown lacing she has.

Hahaha! I totally feel you. When waiting for eggs to hatch, the wait in almost unbearable.
How long till your hatch? How many did you set?
That'll be great, thank you for the complement.

You bet.
They really do, they're inseparable. As a mater of fact, the hen is sitting on 17 eggs currently that are due to hatch in a week and a half, I believe?
I did hatch one duckling from those two a couple months ago, she looks just like a pure Rouen.
I'll have to share pics.

 

[Sequoia Raven Bird Farms]

I know what you mean about not enough pictures. I tried to discover what the drake Leaf Mann was and I had to search on different browsers, websites and more in order to discover what he is. He's a grey, green billed Indian runner duck, and is a tough-acting sweet heart. These are some of his babies from last Summer.

 

[Papaye]

For my yellow one, I also thought of harlequin or snow, it resembles to my Welsh Harlequins when they were ducklings, but even paler. So might be snow, I would like that!

Yeah... it looks indeed paler compared with the Snowy ducklings I have seen online... which is why I think it could be a Blue Trout duckling, but since I have never seen one, I can not be sure...?

As for the black one, I just checked the website, and you're right, it looks like the dark dusky phase... It will be interesting to see in a couple weeks! I'll come back with pitcures

Please, do! Thank you!
I would so like to see the growing phase of Dark Dusky and Snowy (or Blue Trout, whatever it is) ducklings...!!

I know! That's why I like them.
I've always been a huge fan of wild type feather patterns.

Same. I think everybody (can only) like them!

How long till your hatch? How many did you set?

I bought 9 eggs : 1 Cayuga egg, and 8 Khaki Campbell eggs.
I put them underneath a broody Azur hen on MAY 23rd, so they could hatch as soon as JUNE 17th. (...Hoping they are early, and not late; because the wait, of course, is worse when they are late...!)

That's the first time I buy eggs online, so I don't know if they will really hatch... (I won't try candling them for the time being, since I don't want to disturb my hen.)

As a mater of fact, the hen is sitting on 17 eggs currently that are due to hatch in a week and a half, I believe?

That's a lot!
Hope you will have a lot of ducklings...!!
(I would really like it if you posted pictures when they are born...)

I did hatch one duckling from those two a couple months ago, she looks just like a pure Rouen.
I'll have to share pics.

I would appreciate a picture, indeed!!

I know what you mean about not enough pictures. I tried to discover what the drake Leaf Mann was and I had to search on different browsers, websites and more in order to discover what he is. He's a grey, green billed Indian runner duck, and is a tough-acting sweet heart. These are some of his babies from last Summer.

Thank you for the picture!!
I did not even know about Leaf Mann, but... yeah, thank you for the information : I am happy to learn more!

When I search specific pictures... I just don't find them, or don't find enough of them...
Internet is big, and yet, even there is hard to find pictures, or sometimes informations...

That's also one of the reasons I always write long posts : I just want to give a lot of details so I can help people who would search for specific informations or pictures... like I did myself...

 

[Sequoia Raven Bird Farms]

Yeah... it looks indeed paler compared with the Snowy ducklings I have seen online... which is why I think it could be a Blue Trout duckling, but since I have never seen one, I can not be sure...?



Please, do! Thank you!
I would so like to see the growing phase of Dark Dusky and Snowy (or Blue Trout, whatever it is) ducklings...!!



Same. I think everybody (can only) like them!



I bought 9 eggs : 1 Cayuga egg, and 8 Khaki Campbell eggs.
I put them underneath a broody Azur hen on MAY 23rd, so they could hatch as soon as JUNE 17th. (...Hoping they are early, and not late; because the wait, of course, is worse when they are late...!)

That's the first time I buy eggs online, so I don't know if they will really hatch... (I won't try candling them for the time being, since I don't want to disturb my hen.)



That's a lot!
Hope you will have a lot of ducklings...!!
(I would really like it if you posted pictures when they are born...)



I would appreciate a picture, indeed!!



Thank you for the picture!!
I did not even know about Leaf Mann, but... yeah, thank you for the information : I am happy to learn more!

When I search specific pictures... I just don't find them, or don't find enough of them...
Internet is big, and yet, even there is hard to find pictures, or sometimes informations...

That's also one of the reasons I always write long posts : I just want to give a lot of details so I can help people who would search for specific informations or pictures... like I did myself...

To clarify his name is Leaf Mann lol. But yes the internet is lacking where you least expect it. I wonder where people get their information from about breeds...

 

[Papaye]

To clarify his name is Leaf Mann lol.

Okay... I thought it was (yet again) a weird name for a specific breed/colour/appearance...!
We call crested Indian Runner "Bali ducks", so... you know...

I wonder where people get their information from about breeds...

Exactly what I am wondering!
(I'm so grateful to the ones who share what they know online...!!)

 

[KathiQuacks]

I wonder where people get their information from about breeds...

Exactly what I am wondering!
(I'm so grateful to the ones who share what they know online...!!)

The first place I ever got info was from simply looking up, ‘Domestic duck breeds’ and receiving this lovely result. It’s not every breed, and some breeds listed are ones I’ve never even seen / heard of before, but it’s a start. It got me hooked into learning more.

I’ve read through many, ‘What breed is this?!’ threads on here and taken in what other people have said, tried answering for myself, and noting which ones I get right / wrong.

I’ve done a bit of research on standard / non-standard breed characteristics, looked through duck show photos and what breeds / colorations they’re listed as. I’ve browsed through hatchery duckling listings to see which breeds are most common.

For their genes, reading through this article https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/mallard-derived-duck-color-genetics-basics.74277/ and messing around with this gene calculator https://kippenjungle.nl/kruisingEend.html has taught me a lot on their own, though I certainly don’t fully grasp it quite yet. Hatching my own ducklings has taught me quite a bit, too.