Rouens or Mallards?

[ducklover15]

I wanted to get an opinion on what breed my ducks are. The people who sold them to me said they were either Mallards or Rouens. I figured they were Mallards just because they appear to be smaller than the Rouens I use to own, but I'm not sure. I'm trying to sell the ducklings so I really want to be sure of the breed.

Also does domestic Mallard mean the same as a Rouen?

Rouens - 5 months old

Mallard? Drake - 1 year

Mallard? Hen & Ducklings - 1 year

I also know it's illegal to keep Mallards...so I really hope they're Rouens...

 

[TexasVet]

Based on my experience, rouens look exactly like mallards until they're almost fully grown. At that point, the rouen has a much greener head and is about a third larger than a mallard. The other difference is that they can't fly.

Your first two pics didn't show up (at least for me), so I can't comment on them. The Momma in your bottom pic looks like a mallard, but the chicks are of mixed heritage. Some have black feet, others have orange feet. Not to mention the yellow feathers.

I don't know where you live, but it's perfectly OK to keep mallards in Texas. You can order them all day long from Ideal. In fact, I think they're on sale right now.

Mallards are the only breed to survive out on my pond, knock on wood. So I don't recommend anything but mallards and muscovy to people who are looking for pond ducks. Both breeds can fly, which lets them escape the coons, possums, and coyotes.

Kathy, Bellville TX
www.CountryChickens.com

 

[ducklover15]

I fixed the pictures.

Yes, the Momma is mixed. I'm unsure what she's mixed with, but her sister had one black and white feather on each of her wings.

I live in Michigan. I was dropping off flyers for the ducklings I have today and I was told that Mallards are illegal to keep. I'm looking it up right now, but I haven't found anything yet.

 

[Goat_Walker]

Quote:
Op say WHAT?!

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Op say WHAT?!

Yes you are supposed to have a permit for Mallards since they are a native breed like wood ducks and the other wild ducks. Most states and the feds have quit tryong to enforce that law but it is on the books and can be used to bite you in the butt if someone makes an issue of it.

 

[Wifezilla]

Usually 2 eye stripes means rouen. 1 eye stripe and a dot means a mallard.

That drake, though, looks more mallard. Maybe mallard/khaki.

If the mom is a mix, no worries there. But look at the babies. They have rouen eye stripes.

For comparison....

Rouen duckling...

Same duck 4 months later

Khaki drake

 

[ducklover15]

Oh I didn't notice the eye stripes on the babies. So either Momma or Daddy is probably at least part Rouen.


The drake in that picture just started loosing his pretty drake feathers, so that may be why he looks off, but he does kind of look like that khaki drake. And he's a lot skinnier than the Rouen drake you pictured. I wish I had a better picture of him...but he has almost no drake feathers right now.


Thanks for the help!

 

[Sweetfolly]

Quote:
There are wild mallards and domestic mallards - they're exactly the same, except the domestic ones have been bred in captivity for several generations.

I live in Wisconsin, and it's perfectly legal to keep mallards as long as you buy them from domestic stock (you can't go down to the pond and catch a few to take home - THAT would be illegal

). It's also illegal to steal eggs from a wild mallard nest to incubate at home.

I'm not sure what the regulations in Michigan are, but I suspect whoever told you it's illegal doesn't know what they're talking about. One comes across that affliction quite frequently when dealing with the general public.