Random Crested Duckling?

[55fingers]

So we have this duckling who has a crest. Now, this wouldn't be very strange if not for the fact we have only had a crested duck once, and that was over a year ago. Surely his mother couldn't be fertile from a mating that occurred a year ago?

His nesting mother is a Khaki Campbell and Black Swedish mix, but his real mother might very well be a Rouen or Golden 300 Hybrid. Judging by the slight marks on his face, I'd say his mother is a Rouen.

His father is completely unknown, although I can assure you we have no crested ducks and don't live anywhere near a farm with crested ducks, so there is no way his father was crested. Besides, even if he somehow defied all these factors and had a crested parent, I do believe his siblings would be crested as well.

Anyway, it's not just the fact that he has some extra fluffy feathers, I can also feel the bit of tissue on the back of his head, proving that he must be crested.

Does anyone have any idea why he's crested? It's nothing bad, he's absolutely adorable, but I'm just very curious as this doesn't make any sense to me. Is it possible for a duck to randomly get a crested gene or something?

(Sorry for the extremely bad quality pictures. My camera is terrible.)

 

[Pyxis]

Random genetic mutation It can happen, and it's how crested ducks came to be in the first place. It's also more common than you would think.

Word of warning, the crest is caused by a hole in the skull, so this one is going to be more prone to injuries and brain damage. If it's a female, you may want to avoid keeping her with drakes, because if they tug on it while mating with her they could seriously injure her. If it's a male, you'll have to decide if you want to let him mate and pass that on.

 

[55fingers]

Oh. That's what I was wondering, except I didn't think it was common enough to be a random genetic mutation. I guess it does make sense that's how crested ducks came about.

Thanks for the advice! Yes, I've heard that since the bit of flesh that the feathers grow on is there to plug up the hole in their skull, the drakes can basically unplug the hole. I'll have to be very careful about that. It's sad because they're so beautiful, but allowing them to spread the crest on can be dangerous. Thank you for solving this simple mystery that yet seemed to stump me.