Crested duck breeding...

[chickens really]

Thanks. I just know it's heartbreaking when you get a cool genetic variation, but it turns out to be something horrible.

We had spontaneous dwarfism in our Muscovy. Fifty percent chance that it was the normal kind and they'd just be small, fifty percent chance that it was the fatal kind.

Turned out to be the kind that they die before a year old. So, we took out the hen who was throwing off dwarf babies because it was just so heartbreaking.

That can happen..I had dwarfs too from different bloodlines. Mine either are Culled or die before 6 weeks. It's disturbing but happens...

 

[Featheredfluffs]

That is so cool! So, I looked up the genetics, because I LOVE genetics. And, the crested gene is a dominant gene. The single dominant gene makes crested. Two crested genes results in a dead duckling.

Thus, any duck which doesn't look crested, isn't.

Breeding two crested ducks together will result in an average of twenty five percent of the ducklings dying. Fifty percent of the ducks will have a crest. Twenty five percent of the ducks will be normal (no crested gene).

Bred to a duck with no crest, the results are fifty percent crested and fifty percent non crested.

Thus, there is no point in breeding two crested ducks as there is no increase in crested offspring. Plus, who wants to breed ducks knowing that a quarter of them are going to be fatally deformed?

There is no such thing as a duck with two crested genes, since that is fatal. So, if you breed your duck to a non crested duck, you very well may end up with a good proportion of crested offspring and there is almost no chance that the offspring will have the fatal double dose of the crested gene.

I say almost no chance because, as you've observed, the gene can occur spontaneously.

BUT SO COOL!!!!

Oh YAY! I just find it sooo silly that a random little crested guy just popped up. Nice that I shouldn’t worry about it as long as I breed to one that doesn’t have the crested gene

 

[dotporter]

Oh YAY! I just find it sooo silly that a random little crested guy just popped up. Nice that I shouldn’t worry about it as long as I breed to one that doesn’t have the crested gene

I hear you! It is amazing when you get some really awesome surprise gene. I hope you post a picture of your silly guy.

 

[Miss Lydia]

 

[Featheredfluffs]

Here’s the pretty little one! He is soooo sweet and loves to snuggle. This was a few weeks old, he is now growing in adult feathers and looks so silly

 

[dotporter]

Here’s the pretty little one! He is soooo sweet and loves to snuggle. This was a few weeks old, he is now growing in adult feathers and looks so sillyView attachment 1479008

that is hilarious! your duck has a beanie on!!! rofl, can't wait to watch this guy grow.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Such a tiny lil poof

 

[Featheredfluffs]

LOL I love it. It’s even funnier now!

I’m hoping to breed him with a welsh harlequin to get some silly litte crested, speckled ducklings

 

[Lil Drake40]

Such a cutie

 

[dotporter]

SO Cute!!