What are they???

[Jayzandra]

Someone gave me a bunch of what was supposed to be Cayuga eggs to hatch. But three of the little guys do not look like Cayugas. Anyone know what they are? He said he dad them separated by breed, but he also has Runners, Cayuga, Golden, Khaki Campbell, and white crested.

 

[buff goose guy]

To be honest with you none of them really look like cayugas, I think the seller lied to you to still be able to make a sale. To me they all look to be mixed breed, just because a certain breed of females lays an egg doesn't make it that breed so be sure to ask who all the possible fathers are. They are all very cute though . Best of luck !

 

[lomine]

I agree. They look like mixes to me too. But they are cute.

Totally unrelated... Are you supplementing their feed or water with niacin? I ask because none of them walked very much and spent the majority of the video laying down. Perhaps they just got done with a vigorous swim or something but if they do this all the time it is a sign of niacin deficiency. Here is a link on supplementing it. http://metzerfarms.blogspot.com/2011/03/are-my-ducklings-leg-problems-due-to.html

 

[chickens really]

I know exactly what they are......WAY TOO CUTE!!

Sorry, thats all my input.....


Cheers!

 

[Jayzandra]

I didn't buy the eggs. He gave them to me for free with the condition that he could have half of what hatched.
He said the breeds he has are Cayuga, runner, Khaki Campbell, Golden (whatever that is) and crested. He said he had them all running together but then separated them by breed a few weeks before giving me the eggs.

f they had a deficiency, wouldn't the Pekins have it too since they eat the same food? The Pekins are grown and I have their fertile eggs in the incubator now. They don't seem to have any leg problems.

 

[chickens really]

I have raised Duckling for three years......Just Ducklings and I never seen an issue with your Birds.....Only WORRY if you have a worry........Awesome Ducklings.....Best of luck.....


Cheers!

 

[ANightPerson]

They look like mixed breeds. The "Cayuga" are black Swedish. The white crest gives it away. My Cayuga has been pure black until she got shiny.

 

[ANightPerson]

Also, Cayuga eggs aren't always dark, they can be different colours. That's what makes them special. They can lay all different colour eggs.

 

[lomine]

I could be that he is calling his Black Swedish Cayuga. They do look like Swedish but the bibs also seem to be common in some mix breeds. Have you seen the parent stock? It could also be that he didn't have them separated long enough. I believe some folks have experienced fertile eggs more than 3 weeks after mating. Plus the hens choose which drakes they want to fertilize their eggs, so it could be that some of the hens didn't like their same breed counterparts.

Golden probably refers to Metzer Farms' Golden 300 breed. I believe it is a hybrid breed that they developed. They are breed to be great egg layers and I think they are beautiful. I don't know if they would breed true; meaning I don't know if the offspring would be just like the parents.

In regards to the niacin, different ducks react differently to niacin deficiency. Some are perfectly fine with the levels found in chick feed but many need more. If your ducks always act like they did in your video I believe they have a deficiency. I had one that wasn't getting enough even when I supplemented. She wouldn't walk for long distances like the others and would often be laying whent he others were standing I increased the niacin and she perked right up. If they are deficient and you supplement, you will see a difference in their energy levels and mobility in about a week. If they aren't, the extra niacin won't hurt them in the slightest. I see no reason not to supplement.

 

[Jayzandra]

I thought it was normal for the cayuga ducklings to have lighter colored chests, as I googled pics and visited the cayuga thread. I didn't get to see his parent stock since he delivered the eggs to me and we live a few hours apart. I do believe the breeds weren't separated long enough and they are a bit mixed.

They are very mobile and haven't any problems. They're always mobbing around in the run together, running around. I had to chase them into that corner in order to take the video. I'm not against supplementing, I'm just saying I'm not seeing what you're seeing.