What do you think about hybrids? - Darian

[WaterFowlMan01]

Hello Fellow BYC Members! Well, I have been doing research on lots of different wild waterfowl breeds that would be good for me to raise. I have a great interest in waterfowl (have you seen my name?) and I enjoy them a lot. They are very amusing to me. They may be very messy and you may have to clean up after them often but, aside all that, they are really cool. As I was doing research, I came across hybrid birds. They are very beautiful to me! I love the mixed colors most hybrids have. My main concern though is, the negatives of keeping hybrids.. I was wondering if anyone who has or once kept hybrid waterfowl, is there anything I should be concerned about? Are they aggressive? Will they cross with other breeds? Do they feed normally like other breeds?
Also I was wondering about the positives of keeping most hybrids. Do they do well in mixed flocks?

Here is a list of the waterfowl I plan on getting. (not all at once!)

Ducks​

• Cinnamon Teal​
• Chiloe Widgeon​
• Khaki Campbell​
• Mandarin Duck​
• Northern Pintail​
• Northern Shoveler​
• Pastel Call Duck​
• Ringed Teal​
• Wood Duck​

Geese​

• Barnacle Goose​
• Cackling Goose​
• Emperor Goose​
• Lesser white-fronted Goose​

(Please note that all the questions above are specific questions that I have but anything else that you guys think I should note, please feel free to share! Thank you for your support everyone!)

:O and by the way, I am getting the birds exactly in this order, ABC order.

- Darian

 

[WaterFowlMan01]

I forgot to mentions the hybrids I plan to mix! Well I plan to add mallards to the list of ducks I want, because they are the main hybrid creator birds!

But first I want everyone's input on the idea and I want to hear the answers first because due to them being the main hybrid creator, they will mate with all the birds and I don't want that! Here are the mixes that I really liked, a lot!

Mallard x Northern Pintail
Mallard x Wood Duck
Mallard x Call Duck

I just wanted to try out the call duck hybrid.. I saw one on google images but I am still thinking about it right now.. either way if its ugly or not, I will keep it and love it. Its wrong to dispose of a bird because of its looks... that will kill me...

by the way, for people wondering, I am still going to keep the mallards. I am not going to throw them out after. They belong here with the rest of my ducks and geese and game birds and parrots that I plan on getting!

 

[WaterFowlMan01]

Posts people posts! I have no other sources at the moment. Any responses will be greatly appreciated!

 

[jlord]

In the ornamental duck world most people do frown on hybrids. I think this is mainly for the fear of them being sold as pure birds and thus polluting the gene pool of pure bird populations. In some species it is actually very hard to find birds that are pure.
You are correct that hybrids can be very beautiful, and interesting, I end up a few occasionally. But I would never produce hybrids on purpose.

Jamie
www.mallardlanefarms.com

 

[WaterFowlMan01]

Well don't worry because a few days after I didn't get a response, I just forgot and lost interest. I would love to keep a hybrid or two but not that many, in my latest post I gave a list of what I wanted to mix in pairs I guess. Nothing much. I did recent research on hybrids period and its not really that complicated and I guarantee I could make at least one hybrid withing a short period of time but, I wanted to at least hear what other people had to say about it and I'm glad you answered and I do agree with you about the gene pool pollution part :/, But to be honest, if I create a hybrid or two I am not polluting an entire species. I still commend that I should keep that hybrid thing to a minimum though. Maybe a pair or two like I said because either way, it will happen whether I like or not. It is natures thing, I don't control what animals do. The only thing I can do is separate species but I can only do so much to separate species. Ducks are loving birds and will do what they please. I give them the freedom to do that. Its bad enough they have to stay in an large enclosure. Its not like being free. So I just won't do it. I won't breed them. If they breed, they breed. Sorry if I hurt you in anyway but...

 

[WaterFowlMan01]

By the way, I was super excited about the hybrid thing so I was pretty happy. I was literally dying for responses.... Then ---------- I lost interest and now I'm calm and.. Well.. Regular. -_-