The Duck Thread

[5DuckFarm]

So these are the surviving three ducklings (Swedish/Runner/Pekins). The two look as we had envisioned. The light brown one, however, looks more like a female Rouen/Mallard. It is really weird because we don't have those breeds. Does anyone have an explanation?

 

[K Epp]

Didn't all those breeds originate from mallards? My guess would be the hidden genes came out in the cross.

 

[LittleBlu]

How can I tell if my ducks are getting Angel wing?? I'm worried because their flight feathers are coming in and it looks to be pointing up. They're 4 weeks and 4 days old so can I wrap them if they are getting it? If they have it its because I was late on getting their lower protein food and now I have to mix it so their still getting to much protein in the food but its finally done to where I can feed them straight scratch

 

[Starfire669]

So today I got 4 duck eggs. This is news because up until now I thought only my older crested ducks were laying. The 4th duck egg indicates that my Cayuga ducks are also laying. I had counted on the Cayuga eggs being grey/black to tell them apart from the crested duck eggs. I really don't want to hatch any crested ducks next spring, any ideas on how to tell the Cayuga laid eggs from the crested laid eggs?

 

[earlyredrooster]

So today I got 4 duck eggs. This is news because up until now I thought only my older crested ducks were laying. The 4th duck egg indicates that my Cayuga ducks are also laying. I had counted on the Cayuga eggs being grey/black to tell them apart from the crested duck eggs. I really don't want to hatch any crested ducks next spring, any ideas on how to tell the Cayuga laid eggs from the crested laid eggs?

Separate them is the only thing I can think of.

 

[Starfire669]

Separate them is the only thing I can think of.

I was hoping to be able to keep them together. I only have the 1 Cayuga drake, 3 Cayuga hens, 2 crested Pekin hens, and 1 crested mallard hen. So far only the crested mallard hangs with the Cayugas, but I am betting that when the drake reaches full sexual maturity he will over breed the 3 Cayuga hens and I'd like the cresteds with him to help spread his attentions.

I know that on the goose threads they paint the vents with food coloring and match the egg colors to the painted vent to be sure which hen laid which egg. Think something like that could work? I'd have to repaint their vents every few days. Think the black feathers of the ducks will hold the food coloring as good as the lighter colored geese feathers?

 

[hennible]

Sounds like the way to go, try it out. If it works for geese why not ducks, just paint the ladies you want eggs from.

 

[earlyredrooster]

I was hoping to be able to keep them together. I only have the 1 Cayuga drake, 3 Cayuga hens, 2 crested Pekin hens, and 1 crested mallard hen. So far only the crested mallard hangs with the Cayugas, but I am betting that when the drake reaches full sexual maturity he will over breed the 3 Cayuga hens and I'd like the cresteds with him to help spread his attentions.

I know that on the goose threads they paint the vents with food coloring and match the egg colors to the painted vent to be sure which hen laid which egg. Think something like that could work? I'd have to repaint their vents every few days. Think the black feathers of the ducks will hold the food coloring as good as the lighter colored geese feathers?

My Cayuga hen has a tuft but none of the eggs I just hatched has one, which is good because if they were tufted I was gonna put her in the freezer and start over next year. Now I think that will be a the first deciding factor in who goes to the fattening pen.

 

[Starfire669]

My Cayuga hen has a tuft but none of the eggs I just hatched has one, which is good because if they were tufted I was gonna put her in the freezer and start over next year. Now I think that will be a the first deciding factor in who goes to the fattening pen.

It is my understanding that the crest in ducks is a skull deformity and causes all kinds of issues. From everything I have read, you never mate 2 cresteds together as that leads to many ducklings dieing in the shell, and many ducklings that hatch dieing after hatching, due to the deformity. Even breeding a crested duck to a non-crested has issues. Even an adult crested can die if it receives a hard knock to the back of the head, as there is no bone to protect the brain there, just a fat deposit.

My cresteds were my first ducks, I got them as young adults from someone who didn't want them anymore. I thought their crest was adorable, I call them my Afro ducks, lol. But after finding out what issues the crest has on them, I do not want to breed more crested ducks. I couldn't take the heartache of all those ducklings during in the shell, or after hatching. My 3 crested ladies will live a good life, and can hatch Cayuga eggs or goose eggs if they want to be moms.

Just an FYI, but it was explained to me that geese are called tufted, as it's not a skull deformity, but ducks are called crested.

 

[hennible]

Are there any pain killers I could give a duck?