What am I?

[MysticalMom]

Hey Everyone. I need help. AGAIN.

I thought I had 3 baby mallards, but have been told that the black one isn't a mallard. (shocked!) The 3 eggs were all found together in a cubby hole on a big boat. We incubated them and they all hatched on the 27th day. They are 2 weeks old today and thought they don't like me much, I love them already.

Never having ducks of any kind before, much less mallards, I just assumed the all black one was the boy and the other regular mallard looking ducks were the girls.

So what do I have? A black mallard?

 

[pamperedpoultry]

I'm sorry I dont know your answer but I think your story is so funny!! My name is "Candace" and I now have "3 baby ducks" as well but mine are in the incubator they just hatched, I assume they are Mallards since they too were found.LOL

 

[duckboatprincess]

I got a baby who was supposed to be a rouen who looked like your dark one. She died before she got her feathers. I don't know what they are but yours reminded my of mine. If was the favorite. Good luck with your little ones!

 

[taraann81]

Its not a rouen. Rouen look VERy similar to your mallards. I would be doubtful that dark one is a Rouen.

 

[Ducklove334]

then most likely the black one is a mallard mix.

very pretty

 

[MysticalMom]

Quote:
Good luck with your ducks too Candace. Mine didn't have any trouble hatching and I thought it was soooooo cool how I could hear them peeping inside the eggs before they hatched. I panicked when I first heard it and ran to get my hubby who just laughed and said, "They're supposed to do that." 12 hours later all 3 were hatched and perfect.

And thanks to everyone. Someone else suggested to me that maybe they were a cross of mallard and black duck, and then went on to explain that the American Black duck is simply a mallard with darker plumage. Either way, I kind of figured it must be some sort of mallard mix. St. James Creek, off the Chesapeake Bay, where my father in law kept his boat (in which we found the eggs) is full of mallards and I didn't figure how they could be anything else. I've never seen a "black duck" there, but who knows. All I know is they're cute and they're mine!

I'll keep posting pics as he grows.

Well... off to clean out their "home" for the 3rd time today. Man they can go through some water! What a mess! I can't wait to move them outside.

 

[foxhollow]

He is a mallard mix. Looks like he will be black with some white feathers on his neck

Marilyn

 

[MysticalMom]

Quote:
Yes. My father in law says he has seen many a wild black mallard mix around the creek over the years.

The little buggers are growing so quick!!! I can't wait to see which is male and which is female.