Yellow duckling from Black Swedish ducks…?

[kamoore]

Good morning!

I have one female Black Swedish, two male Black Swedish, and one male Mallard.

This is the second time my female has hatched eggs. This go around, she has five yellow ducklings, two Black Swedish ducklings, and one to be a mix of Mallard and Black Swedish.

Curious as to what (mixed?) breed the yellow ducklings are? I’ve tried to do a little searching online and came across Silver Swedish, but that seems to be if two Blue Swedish breed.

Any thoughts? Appreciate any information on the genetics. Thank you!

 

[ShrekDawg]

They are adorable!!!

 

[ShrekDawg]

@Miss Lydia

 

[Miss Lydia]

I am going to tag @cheezenkwackers she seems to know about genetics and I don't. They sure are precious

 

[cheezenkwackers]

What precious little ducklings! Where did you get your adult ducks? I am going to guess a farm, not a hatchery. I suspect your adults are Peking mixes, not black Swedish. Pekings have two copies of the recessive white allele (an allele is one version of a gene, in this case white or non-white). This gene prevents them from putting any color in their feathers and results in white ducks. But, they can carry any of the other color genes "underneath". If you cross them to non-white ducks, like a Khaki Campbell, the offspring often are black with bibs like Swedish. But, those offspring still carry one white allele. So, when you cross them back together, you can get white. Interesting, probability says you should only get 1/4 white but you got extra lucky. I also see one that looks like a chocolate Swedish. That is a sex-linked gene, carried on the Z chromosome (sort of like our X) and that little duckling has to be a female. Since none of your ducks are chocolate or brown, one of your drakes (any of the three) is carrying it as drakes are ZZ (Hens are ZW). He had to give it to the duckling along with the Z chromosome. Mom must have given her the W not the black Z so she is a girl. Her is a great article about duck genetics: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/mallard-derived-duck-color-genetics-basics.74277/