Wild Mallards+Pekin=????.....

[xxalykxx]

I visited all the bunches of babies at a canal near my house today. One of the mommy mallards was a light tan color with darker mallard markings. (like a snowy mallard) All of her babies were normal tho. A little down a ways there was a normal mum with some white chicks. Did they mix up their babies or something.... i was thinking it could be this "wild" pekin i used to see at the canal, his mate died last year I haven't seen the pekin recently, what do you think happened?

1. The light mum had ducklings or eggs that got switched with the mallard
2. Pekin bred with mallard- those are her chicks
3. The mallard is a 1st generation half pekin, her chicks show her pekin side
4. Some weird gene causing albinsm or less color

And pekins can breed with mallards right?
Aren't mallards the ultimate parents of almost all breeds of duck?

The light colored mallard looked like this-
http://www.webfootspecialty.com/files/snowy_mallard_duck_lg.jpg

 

[CoopCrazy]

Dont know but would like too..

 

[ShadyGlade]

White is usually a dominant gene so those duckings likely had a white papa. I doubt that wild birds mixed their eggs. The lighter female probably carries a dilute gene to lighten her color. There is a wonderful chapter on the genitics of color in Storey's Guide to raising Duck's by Dave Holderead.

 

[virginbred]

i have a female mallard who bred with a male pekin...here is a pic of her brood...goose thrown in for good measure...

 

[xxalykxx]

Thanks everyone!
Lol




I was just curious!!!!