What's this beautiful duckling ?

[Metz]

No p

They are sure gorgeous! Any problem having many drakes ? Mine have 1/2 acre fenced to roam and I could never keep drakes together with out fighting I only ever had 4 at one time.

No probs as yet but they are still young.

 

[Metz]

With mum in the secure compound. Last batch this year in with leftover weak ones.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Beautiful Muscovy's. Have you ever noticed how they really would like to over populate the world. lol

 

[Metz]

Beautiful Muscovy's. Have you ever noticed how they really would like to over populate the world. lol

Absolutely, but last year we had about 60 hatch and only 10 survive !!! No sure exactly what or maybe not just one preditor but whatever it was wiping the out on grand style, batch of 10 chicks completely gone in 2/3 days.
So this year we build a secure compound and have hardly lost any to whatever it was, be it wild dogs or cats, foxes, rats, snakes, owls, falcons or many other birds of prey, herons ..... we have the lot.

 

[Metz]

[QUOTE="Duckfarmer1, post: 21963292, member: 546746UOTE]. How old are your mallards? When I first got my mallards, I did a tonnn of research because I swore I had two hens and one non- producing drake. Found that on the internet somewhere. He/she had no curl...greenish head, and the brown feathers with wing patch. As months went on I watched this bird and kept insisting in my mind that it was a drake due the head but there was no curl...and the confusion went on. I kept reinvestigating on the net. Anyways...HE is now a full on drake. Beautiful..got the silver belly..and yes the tail curl. So, I absolutely don’t doubt you that your ducks look different, perhaps they are a mix? Perhaps it’s the different climate? Who knows... but, I’m asking the age simply to let you know that sometimes it takes a loong time for coloring to come in. But they are gorgeous and I hope they stay as they are!

So, showing my lack of knowledge again here, do only drakes have the tail curl ?
If so you are absolutely right because I've spotted the tail curl developing on this duck today.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes in Mallard derived ducks. Loud quack means girl raspy froggy sounds means drake then curled tail feather. They seem to pop up over night or it did on my Runner drake.

 

[Metz]

[QUOTE="Duckfarmer1, post: 21963292, member: 546746UOTE]. How old are your mallards? When I first got my mallards, I did a tonnn of research because I swore I had two hens and one non- producing drake. Found that on the internet somewhere. He/she had no curl...greenish head, and the brown feathers with wing patch. As months went on I watched this bird and kept insisting in my mind that it was a drake due the head but there was no curl...and the confusion went on. I kept reinvestigating on the net. Anyways...HE is now a full on drake. Beautiful..got the silver belly..and yes the tail curl. So, I absolutely don’t doubt you that your ducks look different, perhaps they are a mix? Perhaps it’s the different climate? Who knows... but, I’m asking the age simply to let you know that sometimes it takes a loong time for coloring to come in. But they are gorgeous and I hope they stay as they are!

You were absolutely right and 3 have now developed the tail curls.
Not sure about the brown one, same batch but totally different to the other 3, will send pics.

 

[Metz]

[QUOTE="Duckfarmer1, post: 21963292, member: 546746UOTE]. How old are your mallards? When I first got my mallards, I did a tonnn of research because I swore I had two hens and one non- producing drake. Found that on the internet somewhere. He/she had no curl...greenish head, and the brown feathers with wing patch. As months went on I watched this bird and kept insisting in my mind that it was a drake due the head but there was no curl...and the confusion went on. I kept reinvestigating on the net. Anyways...HE is now a full on drake. Beautiful..got the silver belly..and yes the tail curl. So, I absolutely don’t doubt you that your ducks look different, perhaps they are a mix? Perhaps it’s the different climate? Who knows... but, I’m asking the age simply to let you know that sometimes it takes a loong time for coloring to come in. But they are gorgeous and I hope they stay as they are!

You were absolutely right and 3 have now developed the tail curls.
Not sure about the brown one, same batch but totally different to the other 3, will send pics.

 

[Miss Lydia]

They sure are gorgeous!!

 

[Duckfarmer1]

View attachment 1976493 View attachment 1976494
You were absolutely right and 3 have now developed the tail curls.
Not sure about the brown one, same batch but totally different to the other 3, will send pics.

Awwww, sorry that I had to be right on that..but... I suppose sometimes I get lucky and actually know what I’m talking about I’m sure they are still totally beautiful and great to enjoy!!