Question about cresteds and their deadly genes..

[Moochie]

I know about that lethal gene cresteds carry. Never breed crested to crested. And some say not to breed crested to non-crested because the 50/50 babies will have the lethal gene and it's risky.
Then... Where does the common white crested duck fall into this?

Also! I have 13 ducks, 2 drakes and the rest hens. I have a white crested drake and a rouen drake, one crested hen, 6 rouen hens, and 4 runner hens. When the runners start to lay will the drakes start hopping on them? I may have to get rid of the rouen if so. I get could get pure rouens yeah, but the crested drake was one of my first ducks. Got him and the hen at 2 weeks old. I'm attached to them more than the rouens.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

Have u googled this? I have read that sometimes the hatch rate is lower, but never them just up and kicking the frying pan.

 

[duckyfromoz]

The crested gene is incompletely dominant... It basically means it doesnt ALWAYS get passed on the the baby if the parent has it. But when two parents that do have a crest BOTH pass on the crested gene then it it fatal to the duckling. You can still get a non crested baby from two crested parents as well. Knowing the risk and what it can do is the most important thing about breeding cresteds. Many people dont like the idea of hatching them because they may die before hatching- but as long as you know the risks you can make up your own mind about who to put with who.

Can you just have two separate pend when you want to thatch the eggs so you get pure Rouens? Maybe put the crested drake with the runner hens and the Crested duck in with the rouens- that way any baby will only get one dose of the crested gene.

 

[Moochie]

I guess I'll do that if I decide to hatch any ducks out. But will the drakes start going on the runners when the runners start to lay eggs?
Person who sold us the rouens told us that the drake will start hopping on the hens when the give off some kind of scent or some instinct with the seasons. Same with runners or will the drakes go on them?

 

[KrazyKZ08]

i think as long as the drakes are old enough they will try, and if the hens are laying eggs then they will most likely allow it. is puberty lol

 

[Wifezilla]

If a hen is breathing, a drake will try to mate her. Nothing to do with scent. And domestics aren't usually just seasonal breeders.

 

[FarmrGirl]

Quote:
yes, if your drakes have access to your hens they WILL breed them. However, if you're looking to hatch some eggs that are non-crested you just seperate the ducks you want to mate, collect only those eggs for the incubator, and you shouldn't have any problems.

There's some really good information about the genetics of crested ducks here: http://www.metzerfarms.com/Articles/CrestedDucksUnusualBrains.pdf

The main thing to remember is that the babies are hatched with a hole in their skull, this is where the crest will form. Anything can happen when you're born with a hole in your skull... bactieria can get in there and cause all sorts of problems, the crest can press on a piece of the brain causing neurological issues like seizures , some of the brain can come out of the hole...

I had a crested duckling that came in a box of cayuga's I ordered from a hatchery (I didn't order any crested) and that poor little thing could only walk around in circles. I had to cull it because it couldn't even eat or drink properly

I love the silly little hairdo's on the adult birds, but I'm sort of sad about the possiblity of the ducks being born terribly impared.

This site has some pictures and a good lesson in basic genetics: http://www.faithvalleywaterfowl.com/crested_call_genetics.html [graphic photos]