The Duck Thread

[NanaKat]

These are the week old lings....the crested head fluffers are mixed in the huddle....

The 3 week old ducklings one not crested and the one possible...

 

[NanaKat]

Need some assistance....is this duckling crested? Not sure how since background is supposed to be Pekin and either Swedish or Cayuga. The head fluff feels like two tiny ears...duckling is three weeks old.

There are two more babies with the same head fluff that are only one week old.

That does look like a crest to me. I'm not sure if the crest is a recessive trait or not- I'm sure someone else knows, but maybe a crested duck snuck in the gene pool somewhere? Either way, as I'm sure you know, be so so careful with those little babies heads

The skull under the fluff feels normal.
But this may explain why the hatch rate from the one hen that must carry the gene has a lower hatch rate...many dis.
Does this mean the drake slso has the gene even thogh he doesnt have a crest?

 

[sannabelle]

The skull under the fluff feels normal.
But this may explain why the hatch rate from the one hen that must carry the gene has a lower hatch rate...many dis.
Does this mean the drake slso has the gene even thogh he doesnt have a crest?

Do eggs from other hens that that particular drake mates with have the same poor hatch rates and crested ducklings? Or just this hen? As it is a semi dominant as Dan said I don't believe it would have to come from both parents to be present.

 

[sannabelle]

Here is the best explanation I have found-

http://domestic-waterfowl.co.uk/crested.html

 

[dan26552]

Do eggs from other hens that that particular drake mates with have the same poor hatch rates and crested ducklings? Or just this hen? As it is a semi dominant as Dan said I don't believe it would have to come from both parents to be present.

X2


It does not require both parents to have the gene, if you breed a crested to a non crested you should get about 50/50, if you breed a crested to crested (which is generally advised against) you get 25% DIS 25% will be crest-less and 50% should have crests. (Roughly.)

 

[BachBachBach]

Do eggs from other hens that that particular drake mates with have the same poor hatch rates and crested ducklings? Or just this hen? As it is a semi dominant as Dan said I don't believe it would have to come from both parents to be present.

It depend how aggressive drake was. So if drake was real domino and aggressive then trait gets passed on. More about personality than jeans, in my opinion

 

[NanaKat]

The skull under the fluff feels normal.
But this may explain why the hatch rate from the one hen that must carry the gene has a lower hatch rate...many dis.
Does this mean the drake slso has the gene even thogh he doesnt have a crest?

Do eggs from other hens that that particular drake mates with have the same poor hatch rates and crested ducklings? Or just this hen? As it is a semi dominant as Dan said I don't believe it would have to come from both parents to be present.

My trio is from eggs I purchased to hatch. None of my two exhibit the crest so perhaps the one hen carries the crest gene.
No, the other hen Maggie does not have the lower hatch rate...although she is 50/50. I thought it might be from my inexperience with hatching ducks. So far none of hers have shown crest feathers.
Mattie's hatch rate is about 25%
Morris might carry the gene, thus affecting the hatch rate.

 

[HeatherD73]

We FINALLY got our duck pen done last weekend. Now the three 10 week old ducks are outside full-time. Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, we went out to usher them into the duck house to get locked up for the night. That was around 8:15 each evening. 3 nights. On the 4th night we didn't get out there until 8:40. They had already PUT THEMSELVES TO BED! We had to clean the pool out a bit, and then never even came out to be nosey.

I hope when they get to free range the yard and pond (after we remove and rehome the 20lb snapping turtle) that they continue to put themselves to bed in the right place.

 

[hengrl78]

I've been giving my 2 week old ducks niacin for a week now for a duck w/ bowed legs and it doesn't seem to be getting better, any tips ??!

 

[jenniferlamar70]

They look like black Swedish and Cayuga to me, possible mixes with that many different breeds free roaming, how many drakes does she have and what breeds? That will help you limit daddy and breed

Unfortunately she has a drake from every breed except the muscovy lol so doesn't narrow it down for me.