What breed really

[Plague]

Ok everyone, I have a dilemma. I have had what I thought was a rouen duck. She was a darker brown color after she got her juvenile feathers, up to this point she looked like a rouen as a duckling to juvenile, but she has since went to a lighter color brown. The color brown she is looks more like the color of the silver appleyard, I have seen what they call the clair rouen which they say is a "trout" brown instead of a mahogany brown. Which again she did look more this color before, now more the trout brown. We have since gotten 3 rouen ducks, and they all got their juvenile and looked like she did, but now they seem to be staying that color, they are getting orange in their bills, which she still hasn't really gotten. They all came from the same hatchery, which there is not a clair rouen, only production rouen, but they do have silver appleyard. So how would you guys suggest I can go about a more definitive id of her? Do the rouen breed ducks change colors like the males when they go out of breeding season? Is that all it is, or is it possible she is a "rare phase" I mean is the clair a random from the standard rouen? Any help will be greatly appreciated. I will attach some photos of her now and the newer ones.

 

[Colley12]

Pictures are helpful!!

 

[Plague]

Pictures are helpful!!

Yeah, some reason kept telling me wrong extension so I had to go snap a couple new ones, should be there now!

 

[HollowOfWisps]

If you got her from a hatchery or farm stoee then she is a Silver Appleyard. They can also look similar to a brown Rouen in the juvenile phase.

 

[Plague]

I had to question this as when you look at the rouen ducklings at the hatcheries they never have a lighter colored female like this, the pictures of the females all just look like the newer ones. She has actually been this lighter color since she moulted into her full on adult feathers, they started a bit darker, and have just gotten lighter, and at this point she has stayed this lighter color now for a few months.

 

[Plague]

If you got her from a hatchery or farm stoee then she is a Silver Appleyard. They can also look similar to a brown Rouen in the juvenile phase.

She originally came from a local TSC store last year, the newer ones I got from their supplier directly. She was just in the "mixed". We came to the conclusion she was a rouen since as a duckling she looked identical to us as the duckling picture of the rouen, however I did recently notice the silver appleyard duckling looks very similar if not identical too. So got me really questioning if she is a rouen. Thank you for your input. I wasn't sure since she is lighter like the coloring of the appleyard, but the photos I seen the appleyard looks like more splotchy white, is that like when they age more they just develop that coloring?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

She originally came from a local TSC store last year, the newer ones I got from their supplier directly. She was just in the "mixed". We came to the conclusion she was a rouen since as a duckling she looked identical to us as the duckling picture of the rouen, however I did recently notice the silver appleyard duckling looks very similar if not identical too. So got me really questioning if she is a rouen. Thank you for your input. I wasn't sure since she is lighter like the coloring of the appleyard, but the photos I seen the appleyard looks like more splotchy white, is that like when they age more they just develop that coloring?

Appleyards can be lighter or a little darker like yours since there are different phases of the trout color.

 

[Plague]

Appleyards can be lighter or a little darker like yours since there are different phases of the trout color. View attachment 3387036

Thank you so much! We have been looking more closely at the silver appleyard, and the photos are stunningly similar to her. So no doubt she must be a silver appleyard! A nice surprise, now we must get some more females and a male of that breed so we can breed them along with the other breeds we have at this point. Gotta get some more housing built, already was planning on getting some Muscovy and Pekin this year, adding silver appleyard to the list ha. Thanks again, I knew someone on here with more knowledge could help!

 

[relicshunter]

She looks to be mainly Appleyard but has the wrong color beak, they would have an orange beak. Appleyard and Welsh drakes can look simular when they are pet quality birds and it's talked about that some of the hatcheries have mixed Appleyard/ Welsh flocks. The baby Appleyards would have a dark mohawk mark as babies and Welsh have a dark haze on the head/neck area. So not a good specimen to breed from but very pretty none the less.

 

[NewJourney]

She looks to be mainly Appleyard but has the wrong color beak, they would have an orange beak. Appleyard and Welsh drakes can look simular when they are pet quality birds and it's talked about that some of the hatcheries have mixed Appleyard/ Welsh flocks. The baby Appleyards would have a dark mohawk mark as babies and Welsh have a dark haze on the head/neck area. So not a good specimen to breed from but very pretty none the less.

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but which hatcheries should I avoid if I want a pure Silver Appleyard or Welsh Harlequin? My next flock of ducks will be one of those breeds. Thank you.