Fawn colored runner ducks

[Countrygalmom]

I have a trio of fawn runner ducks - 2 famale and one male. The females both have greenish beaks, while the male has an orange beak. Is this just coincidence, or is it gender connected? Does anyone know?

Thanks!

 

[DuckyMom]

I dont have a clue! Our two runner ducklings are both feamale... one is developing a greenish color to her beak too... the other has a plae black or grey beak... not green freckles like her sister? I dont understand it at all!

 

[crj]

We have 2 female runners and 4 males. Fawn and White
The girls have a greenish tint/splash on their bills and the boys are just orange/yellow.
Looks like a gender specific trait to me.

 

[tia]

Are you talking about a buff runner or a fawn/white runner??? Here is my buff runner female from Holderreads and she has a bill almost the color she is. She is supposed to be a show quality runner. I got her as a 1 year old adult. she has a little black thing (I'm sure there is a name for it) on the end of her beige colored bill.

 

[kylee2katie]

I'm not sure about the females, as I only have one and it's a boy...his bill is orange. It does have some greenish spots but I'm told it has something to do with what he eats...

 

[tia]

I have three fawn/white females and their beaks are all this color. One of them has freckles on its beak.

 

[jrobertson]

it is not odd for female ducks of some breeds to start developing dark spots on their bills around sexual maturity. the majority of the time the number of spots will increase as the bird ages until sometimes, the entire beak appears dark green. my fawn and white indian runners show this. my males always have a spot free bill. bright yellow.

 

[ejctm]

How old are they? Their bills can change as they grow older.

My runner (fawn/buff/apricot-ish, not sure what colour she is really) hatched with a bill the same colour as her feathers (sort of light brown).

Here she is 2 days old:

And here she is about 3 weeks ago:

It has stayed this way until recently when it is now bright orange with a black bean (noggin at the end!) I don't have an uptodate photo but it has changed just in the last week or so. She is nearly 3 months old.

 

[duck walk]

YOU GUYS!!!! Your ducks are so pretty!

 

[Sweetfolly]

It's gender related. You'll find that, in many colors, the female will have a dark colored bill, while the male will have a yellow bill. If you have white ducks like Pekins, ALL the bills are orange, but the females will usually develop little black or olive colored "freckles" throughout the laying season - it has to do with hormonal changes.

Oh - and that black spot on the tip of the bill is called the "bean", tia.