Hatching of my first ducklings of the year - Particularly stressfull, but lessons learned!

[Papaye]

Hi.

SR straight run (don’t know if male or female)
SL sex linked (tell by color at hatch)

Thank you for the precision.

What color are you calling Trout?

Trout is Mallard/Grey colours, but females are lighter coloured than Mallard coloured ones.
(Trout drakes are the same colour than Mallard coloured ones...)

Here : https://www.duskyfeatherswaterfowl.com/mallard-pattern

Have you played with the color calculator? Let me know your results, I play with it (and the turkey one and the goose one ) at least daily!

I have (played with THE calculator).

Nevertheless, I don't know if the results are really so accurate...
So, I just use it when I'm curious to see what colours I could eventually obtain by crossing differents coloured ducks, OR - sometimes - just to see the pictures showing some of the rarest duck colours...

But you’re right, there a few pictures of adult bird coloring

That's why I post so much pictures on this website (nothing big, but something at least)... could always help someone, right?

But not absolutely definitive since I’m working on SL turkey poults, had them feather tested for sex (because I can’t wait 5 months lol), but my Royal Palms and Sweetgrass are just yellow at hatch. So it was important for me to document duckling color from hatch forward. The Lilac girl changed the most! I can’t wait to see her grow. My Blues are also beautiful, one is SR and one is SL. I also have three Buffs I want to see when they will look different unless I got lucky? unlucky? and the three end up being Light/Blonde variation.
I have six eggs cooking now, due in a week from one Cayuga duck only, so I think that will be a nice little limited research project to see colors there.

That's impressive...!

Will you post pictures, once your turkeys are entirely feathered? Would be nice to see their growth...
(Actually : same with your ducks...)

I don’t know a lot about Runner colors, that’s why I didn’t want to introduce other body types or colors.

Well... Indian Runner ducks come in all kind of colours...!

To get Crested though, I have to introduce “White” so any crazy color they are genetically as well I know Cresteds have Pekin, Runner and Aylesbury which I’m not a fan of any but it’s what I needed.

I got Bali ducklings this year : I was surprised to see crested ducklings in my second and third hatchings of 2024.
...Although none of the parents are crested...

Apparently, from what I learned : apart from muscovies, all ducks can be crested.
And none of the parents even need to be (crested) for a duckling to be born with a crest, as long as at least one (parent) have the gene responsible of the crest trait.

If I were to try to go all the way around to get a Black Crested, I think the best way is to use White Crested on Buff = Blue Mallard (but only a chance of Crest).

Not sure you would obtain Blue by crossing White with Buff.

If you don't know what colours is hidden by the white, you would need to go on test breeding your White duck...

And the Crest is only a chance, bigger Crests are from breeding Crested to Crested…

I don't know about that.
I got a pretty, very big crested duckling from non-crested parents... and he actually even has THREE crests...

So, if you want a big crest, you could be lucky on your first try!

It would be simpler for you, just a matter of pairing the right colors to get to Black.

Yes.
I have to try more, but I also have to find standard coloured Runners - and sadly, it is not easy!

 

[Bolfreak]

You are absolutely right, a lot of info we “have” keeps getting passed on as truth or experience when it’s likely neither. Best thing to do is test it out and try.
The color calc said White and Buff = Blue Mallard (among others, I was just explaining my non Bib approach to get a Crested Black ), since you said you were trying to get back to Black in your breeding. I will need several breeding cycles to get to (hopefully) a flock of Crested Blue & Apricot mallards that breed true.
I think the Buff variations are fascinating because it’s unstable and has Blue and Black in it. Orpington had other colors of Buffs, which makes sense when you see the breeds he used to develop them.
The Crested aspect is also interesting and I’ve done a lot of research but am now in the experience phase. Mine are 2 months old so still have some months to go, but read they are good dual purpose ducks, too.
Don’t worry, I’ll post a lot of pics, too many probably. Still waiting on my turkeys to distinguish which are Royal Palm and Sweetgrass, they all still look the same at this age, white with some black bars. Maybe the Sweetgrass is developing little tiger striped feathers on his shoulders, but I’m still observing. I had a great experience with IQbirdtesting to get them sexed with feathers, 5 months is too long for me to see sex linked results
Here’s a pic of one of my Crested ducks (pretty sure it’s female by voice) in love with the babies on their field trip, she justs sits there near them Lilac girl on the left of the ducky pile.
Sir Alex the Sw turkey wasn’t a big fan

 

[Papaye]

Hi.

since you said you were trying to get back to Black in your breeding.

Yes, but I think I will have to buy at least one black or two blue Runners if I want to have solid black ducklings : I could be wrong, but I don't think I will be able to reach my objective with my current ducks...?
(At least, I tried...!)

The Crested aspect is also interesting and I’ve done a lot of research but am now in the experience phase.

I recently have learned if you want to have crested babies, you should not use a duck that have not a very centered crest, since apparently, he could have reproductive disorders otherwise...?
(I don't have a source.)

Mine are 2 months old so still have some months to go, but read they are good dual purpose ducks, too.

Yes, I read the same.

Don’t worry, I’ll post a lot of pics, too many probably.

Oh no... there can NOT be "too much" pictures...!!

Still waiting on my turkeys to distinguish which are Royal Palm and Sweetgrass, they all still look the same at this age, white with some black bars. Maybe the Sweetgrass is developing little tiger striped feathers on his shoulders, but I’m still observing.

...Do they really look the same?
I would not have thought so, since adult colours are so much different!!

Here’s a pic of one of my Crested ducks (pretty sure it’s female by voice) in love with the babies on their field trip, she justs sits there near them

Thank you for the pictures...!!

Ooooh... I would be careful about voice sexing her at her age : I once had an Indian Runner that quacked like a girl at almost 3-months-old... and he actually was a boy!

...I see a yellow duckling with... a skull malformation, on your pictures? (Don't look like there is a crest...?)

Lilac girl on the left of the ducky pile.

She is just so cute...!!

Sir Alex the Sw turkey wasn’t a big fan

Ah, ah!