Australian Spotted Ducks

[laughingdog]

I don't know of how the call x welsh would breed and act, and personally probly prefer finding out how true australian spotted ducks act ect, as seemingly great personalitys that would be better to breed true, rather than gambling with mixing hopefully getting same results.

 

[Frosty Acres]

I received my first batch of Australian Spotted's from Holderread in April. I think I have all green heads, 1 female and the rest male. I also have 1 Mini Appleyard in there. What do you think on sex and color?

 

[Duck Drover]

The male feathers come in so that they look like females at first but they are old enough to voice sex. The females will quack loud while the males still make a peeping noise or a noise that sounds like a croaking frog. If it quacks, it is a hen duck. When the drakes get their colored heads the white neck band is usually visible as the head color begins to comes in. The hens don't have a defined neck band. You could certainly vent sex to be sure. The drakes have a long worm like boy part while the hens have two bumps. The drake will usually stick out his part when you open the vent correctly but it is possible that you won't see it if he does not stick it out. I don't guarantee hens unless I see the two bumps and they quack just in case I miss something when vent sexing.

Colors are mostly obvious from their down color so if they all had dark colored down they should all be greenheads. It is hard to tell feather color when they are in a pile and I am using my phone to view the picture. Blueheads have lighter down and lighter colored spots so the greenheads are the most popular because they have the darker contrast but some color variation is nice so they don't all look the same. Even greenheads will be lighter and darker colored so you can tell them apart.

 

[Duck Drover]

I tried getting a greenhead and bluehead side by side for comparison to see if that helps compare the colors. They just had a bath so they are damp and that makes them look darker, plus the picture is somewhat dark so it is not the best but hopefully it is better than nothing.

 

[Frosty Acres]

Excellent information, thank you so much! I'm going to try vent checking tonight. I think the light colored one is a hen, she's definitely louder than the rest.

 

[Duck Drover]

I hatched my first silverhead duckling today! I will take pictures as soon as all the ducklings hatch and I take them out of the incubator. I want to get a picture with all three colors together. I already have a half dozen bluehead ducklings I need to try sexing soon. I have a bluehead hen duckling out in the yard already since she is nearly fully feathered so I should get a picture of her too. She will not start laying for a couple months but I want to put her with my other blueheads and silverheads so she can bond with the silverhead drake instead of the two drakes she is with now that need to go to a new home.

 

[Duck Drover]

These are not the best pictures but it is hard to get three ducklings to pose for a picture!

The bluehead is a bit dark for comparison but for now it will have to work.

 

[Duck Drover]

Here is my bluehead hen duckling (hatched 4/14) with a greenhead drake duckling in the background. This picture shows the color difference in the adult feathers. They are both still growing in their wing feathers.

Here she is by herself.

 

[Duck Drover]

I decided to take a video of one of my duckling groups because they were peeping so sweetly as they were drying off after their swim. I don't think I can load it, though.

 

[Prairie Fleur]

I'm really interested in getting some ducks. I love that these guys are good foragers, rare, not to mention gorgeous!!! How do they compare to Black East Indies?
I plan to let my ducks free range; we have horrible bug problems here. I'm getting a livestock guardian dog in a month and then I'll have some predator protection.

Duck Drover do you have pairs available? Would you mind sending me a PM if you do?