Is this normal for rouens?

[Paganrose]

My rouens are 5 weeks old, some of them are huge, while others are half the size. Is this normal?

3 of them are the size of the smaller one in the back, two of them are huge (front ducks) and one is halfway in between the two sizes.
The larger ones are also feathering out sooner, but are also more lazy, the smaller ones are very active always bug hunting. Would this account for the extreme difference in size? Or is there something else going on? They are eating non medicated chick starter, plus all the bugs they can catch, grasses and greens in thier run, and ocassional weeds and greens from the kitchen and garden.

 

[chasing ducks]

My best guess is that the larger ones are male, but I have very little experience here so hopefully this will bump up your post till someone who has a better idea can answer.

 

[La Mike]

Yes its normal for some to grow faster than others
The option of them being mixed is also a factor to think about

 

[Wifezilla]

Some rouens just look like big mallards. Others look like this....

 

[taras.farm]

Quote:
a slight difference is normal...sometimes males can be bigger....but not always...i've had piggy females actually grow faster....where did you get them...sometimes mixes cause this obvious difference...pures stay pretty even...

 

[ChickBond 007]

A 5 week old should be fully feathered and learning to quack instead of peep. That's the best test for normal maturation.

 

[1lpoock]

If they are all the same age I would say you have Rouens and mallards...

 

[Paganrose]

They are hatchery birds form McMurray........ They are quaking, not peeping, (it was funny listening to thier vocies crack last week) and getting there feathers in, the larger ones seem to be further along with the feather growth, but noone is fully feathered yet. Do they need need more protien to feather out?

 

[La Mike]

It is possible from the hatchery that there is an age difference in your ducks
Most likely they are mixed
All age groups should feather out at the same rate
Size difference is mixed in general
Rouens are large mallards that dont fly so well
If the smaller ones fly more than 4-6 ft off the ground when they get fully feathered
They arent rouens
The flight feathers are considerably different

 

[Wifezilla]

If they are coming from McMurray, they aren't going to be mixed and they aren't going to be different ages.