What are these?

[destiny_56085]

Went over to a notable waterfowl breeder not too long ago and purchased a large amount of ducklings. I was supposed to have 15 exhibition rouen, 5 aylesbury, and 35 muscovy ducklings. The muscovies are supposedly going to be chocolate, chocolate ripple, buff, and/or cream ripple. I know this guy raises quite a few other breeds and his adult stock is separated by breeds. Could I have gotten a mixup of ducklings or am I just seeing things?

I'll include several pics below. One of the aylsbury I am confident that it is actually just a regular pekin. Bright yellow legs and beak. Starting to get a keel on it, but nothing like the other 4. The moscovies have me puzzled too. There are 4-5 that I am relatively sure that are going to be american buff ducks, not buff muscovies. Take a look.... The guy only lives about 45 minutes from me and I see him at all the fall shows. Should I ask for replacements so I get what I paid for? Or should I just shut up and sell those for butchering this fall?

Btw... there are call ducks, a few goslings and 4 rouen/snowy mallard crosses in the same pen. I can easily tell the exhibition rouens from my crosses.

 

[GrannySue]

I'm not all that experienced. I've only had ducks for a year or so, and runners at that, but I think I can answer your question quite confidently;

They're ducks!

 

[19hhbelgian]

Well, the white one does look like a Pekin... Other than that, my eyes can't focus enough to really see them very well (I need closer pics

) 28 and already blind

 

[destiny_56085]

I do have closeups of those in question. They are the first few pics where they are drinking from the blue pan. All the outside shots are so you can get an idea of conformation in relation to the other ducks.

An yes Granny I know they are ducks! Purebred ducks in the breeds I ordered...probably not. Our family shows and enforces culling pretty hardcore. We don't keep them just because they are pretty and for yard pets.

 

[19hhbelgian]

If it were me, I would talk to the breeder about it. I'm sure they weren't a bargain if he is a good breeder. Maybe there was a mix up of some sort? But, if they were a bargain, I would hesitate to go to him again... I might be redundant with this, but were they supposed to be SQ ducks? Either way, if you didn't get what you paid for, I would want the problem fixed.

 

[destiny_56085]

They are supposed to be show quality. $5 each for the rouens/aylesburys and $4 each for the muscovies. Not a horrible price, but just about what you pay for a full grown butcher duck around here.

I did talk to the breeder on friday afternoon when he called me about getting some RG/YG pheasants. I told him I'd be willing to trade for some of the adult rouen breeders he had for sale. I called him twice over the weekend to discuss those other ducks. I left him voicemails stating that as long as he was making the trip down to pick up pheasants to possibly bring along a few of the younger muscovies and 1 aylesbury to correct my order. He can gladly have those other buffs and pekin back. When I was at his place, there were literally 100's so I don't think its due to lack of birds. I called saturday morning and afternoon. Its now late monday afternoon with NO response back from him.

 

[Wifezilla]

Wow....ducks in your area are cheap! I am lucky if I can get a newly hatched duckling for $5.

The rouens look very rouen-ish

but I think you are right about the buffs. They look like buff orpingtons, not buff scovies.

 

[destiny_56085]

MN has alot of the huge waterfowl breeders (Kershaw's, Wild Plum, Cedar Pines, Roscoe, Ewert, Hauger, etc). Ducks are cheap because of the availability. If you go to any of the spring swaps, you can usually pick up even purebred ducklings for $2-3 each. You pay a minor fortune to feed them out til fall and maybe get $5-8 for them full grown. Top of the line show quality adults maybe $25. The adult muscovy butcher drakes sometimes bring $10-15.

 

[TK Poultry]

looks like you have saxony not buff i have buff and they are much smaller than my pekins they prob are saxony doesnt look like you got much of wat you wanted....but nice ducks