What color ducklings?

[Geranium]

I have zero idea how color genetics work for Muscovy ducks. If the parents are both black and white, will all ducklings be black and white? Or are other colors possible? I don't know the color lineage the ducks come from, but I know that there are solid white and brown and white Muscovies on the farm they came from, in addition to black and white.

Thanks!

 

[Pyxis]

Black and white like black pied? If yes, then the way pied works in muscovies is that one copy makes a bird pied and two make it white. Since you say there are white muscovies on the farm they came from, I'm thinking yours are probably pied So that means you should, theoretically, get 25% solid white ducklings, 25% black ducklings, and 50% black pied ducklings.

Also, 'brown' sounds like chocolate. If so, your drake might be carrying it. If he is, half of all the female ducklings would be chocolate, and half of all the male ducklings would be carrying chocolate.

They could of course also be carrying other recessive genes like lavender or sepia, etc.

 

[Geranium]

Can males be chocolate?

And yes, I believe pied is the coloring I mean. Like my handsome guy here.

 

[Pyxis]

Can males be chocolate?

And yes, I believe pied is the coloring I mean. Like my handsome guy here. View attachment 1897539

Yep, males can be chocolate, but it is a sex-linked gene, and it's recessive, so males need to inherit two copies for it to express. Females can only be chocolate or not be chocolate, they cannot carry it, because of it being sex-linked.

 

[Geranium]

Yep, males can be chocolate, but it is a sex-linked gene, and it's recessive, so males need to inherit two copies for it to express. Females can only be chocolate or not be chocolate, they cannot carry it, because of it being sex-linked.

Ah, gotcha