I have waited about 6 years to see babies from my drake Wist. He is pictured in my avatar with his favourite lady Varia. I got serious about it in 2012 when we got our big girls, I never saw him breed anyone, I never see any really sexual behaviour from him, but I started cracking eggs to find out if they were fertilized.. Usually about 40% were fertilized, but I got no babies. I thought it might be poor mothering, so I bought the incubator. Still no babies. Everything was dying at about 3 weeks. Last year I bought some calls thinking maybe his wild breed cant cross with pekin and whatever else is in the big girls, and I know he can breed with calls. I got a couple of drakes in the mix too. They can be seen here https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/938715/the-call-duck-mystery And this year I got 3 ducklings, one pure call, one with a pekin mother and call father...And Abbey When I first saw Abbey through the bator lid, I thought it was Varia's (Wist's Favourite lady) baby by a call, but when I pulled him out and saw that mask, I thought Wist had to be the father Even their expressions are similar! Now Abbey's almost all grown up, and is obviously Varia's child, but Im not so certain about the Wist part. Here are pics of Wist as a baby I compared these pics when Abbey was born and I was certain! However now Abbey is definitely getting a greenish tint to his black cap, like the calls. Heres Abbey now. Looking a lot like Varia. Im not sure what to believe!
I have no idea but beautiful birds, if you ever want babies from specific birds i always put them in a breeding pen, its a large enclosure basicly like a large run with a pool and a small coop for the two of them. it usually works and i get at least one baby from them.
Thanks for your comments! Im very proud of my birds. I did consider locking Wist up with Leelu my favourite call. He doesnt mind changes like that but she does. I have a small pen I use for the babies and Im gooing to do some conversions and I might pen him in with some girls next year. The only drama is I have to move them from that pen to their shed at night and Im worried this will disturb laying. I already hsve a plan to fence in my other drakes at night so Wist will be the only one with the girls overnight, Im just worried about the transit from pen to shed part.