When should I put a safety hole in a call duck egg?

[Painted Calls]

Want me to send a link to the seller I bought from? They have pictures of their pastels and they have the same color bill, although its only the females

Females do have dark bills. But for down they should be marked like a gray.

 

[Cheems]

@Overo Mare https://www.ebay.com/itm/1854152189...BGDOl2Y7+6dD3gJpCRay3S8Col5t|tkp:BFBMuM_zrJNg thats the seller, really long link lol

 

[Painted Calls]

So, it has a bill like a female, the color bill of a female, doesnt look like a pastel, has grey feathers like a male, but also spins in circles occasionally? Interesting duck lol

Oh now right there I think I can see an eye stripe maybe.

Goofy duck

 

[Cheems]

Oh now right there I think I can see an eye stripe maybe.

Goofy duck

do you think that he/she is a male or female? does the color of his/her tail feathers say anything?

 

[Painted Calls]

do you think that he/she is a male or female? does the color of his/her tail feathers say anything?

I have no idea. No, tail feathers don't say much to me.

 

[Cheems]

I have no idea. No, tail feathers don't say much to me.

ah, ok! im hoping the penciled and pastel are females, because I really love the female colors, although the male colors are VERY beautiful also. I also am hoping for one female snowy and one male snowy, I guess we will find out!

 

[shawluvsbirds]

are you sure the pastel/snowy couldn't be a pastel? The seller I bought from labels their eggs and what color they are, and that was labeled pastel. But I also dont think that picture portrays the full colors of the pastel so I will take another picture

Its possible there was a mislabeled egg

Also they are having group cuddle time on top of their heater, im gonna take more pictures of that since its so adorable

Just because the parents are pastel doesn't necessarily mean the ducklings will be I don't think I'm pretty sure other color combinations can come out.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

As far as males versus female. Just give up trying until they start getting their voices. You can make guesses... but 9 times out of 10 you'll be wrong.
Because Drakes will feather out looking like a female and then molt into their male feathers when they have their juvenile molt.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Females do have dark bills. But for down they should be marked like a gray.

The duckling in my avatar picture is a pastel.
An adult male pastel will be marked more like a gray.. only the head color will be a dull bluish gray instead of green.
Ducklings will be kind of yellow with an eye stripe... And with the females they usually do kind of darken up as they mature.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

@WVduckchick I wonder if her "pastel" duckling could be dusky pastel. I don't see an eye stripe and I think that bill is too dark to be a pastel.