I picked up some mallards at the local feed store. Two of the ducks have yellow tufts on their heads and I have no idea what they are. Any ideas? They look exactly like mallard ducklings except for that tuft. I would post pictures but I'm a new member and it wont let me Thanks, Mike
The ones with the puffy things are Crested Mallards. The ones without are normal Mallards. Have fun with them! They sure are cute!
Oh, cresties!! Cute!! I've never had mallards, but crested ducks of all breeds are adorable. Do be careful when they're full grown if you intend to breed them. Never breed a crested duck with another crested duck. The gene that causes the crest is essentially a cranial deformity, and in a double dose it causes painful, gruesome, and usually fatal deformities in offspring (roughly 25% of the offspring of a crested x crested breeding will produce this result). In a single dose, though, it's just plain adorable! And it's perfectly fine to breed a crested with a normal--you'll get 50/50 (roughly) cresteds and normals. Enjoy!
