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You are here » Home » The Accidental Smallholder Forum » Livestock » Poultry & Waterfowl » Curly tail feathers - definitely a drake?
I'm intrigued - what is this thing about sexing a duck by picking it up to see if it quacks ? (And is that for hatchlings or for slightly older birds which are still not easily gendered by feathers?)
Would it be possible to breed the girls to something like an Aylesbury or similar meat breed?
Anke, in theory, you can mate any breed of duck to any other breed of drake depending on what you want to achieve.
Quote from: doganjo on October 28, 2020, 10:12:05 amAnke, in theory, you can mate any breed of duck to any other breed of drake depending on what you want to achieve. Yes we would aim to breed mainly for meat (as we currently do not have any customers for eggs, of any kind), so I will keep an eye out for a meat drake. Just a bit worried as the girls are mainly dark, will a white drake be accepted? I have had problems with a white cockerel only mating the white/pale hens in the flock and completely ignoring the black ones, with the resultant poor hatches and only white chicks...
Quote from: Anke on October 28, 2020, 10:25:09 amQuote from: doganjo on October 28, 2020, 10:12:05 amAnke, in theory, you can mate any breed of duck to any other breed of drake depending on what you want to achieve. Oh they are, I have just introduced a Gotland tup to my Gotland wether and his white Shetland wether friend, and the white boy is being chased round the field every so often. I have not had problems when it comes to sex, my dark tups have always mated happily with white females, but white wethers can have a hard time. And very disappointing results using white cockerel on mainly Maran type flock, re-introduced a black boy, and hey presto good hatch!Yes we would aim to breed mainly for meat (as we currently do not have any customers for eggs, of any kind), so I will keep an eye out for a meat drake. Just a bit worried as the girls are mainly dark, will a white drake be accepted? I have had problems with a white cockerel only mating the white/pale hens in the flock and completely ignoring the black ones, with the resultant poor hatches and only white chicks...Good grief, it never occurred to me that animals could be colour prejudiced!
Quote from: doganjo on October 28, 2020, 10:12:05 amAnke, in theory, you can mate any breed of duck to any other breed of drake depending on what you want to achieve. Oh they are, I have just introduced a Gotland tup to my Gotland wether and his white Shetland wether friend, and the white boy is being chased round the field every so often. I have not had problems when it comes to sex, my dark tups have always mated happily with white females, but white wethers can have a hard time. And very disappointing results using white cockerel on mainly Maran type flock, re-introduced a black boy, and hey presto good hatch!Yes we would aim to breed mainly for meat (as we currently do not have any customers for eggs, of any kind), so I will keep an eye out for a meat drake. Just a bit worried as the girls are mainly dark, will a white drake be accepted? I have had problems with a white cockerel only mating the white/pale hens in the flock and completely ignoring the black ones, with the resultant poor hatches and only white chicks...
Oh and she can't mate the girls to anything that quacks - they're not lesbians Sorry just being facetious.
Just a bit worried as the girls are mainly dark, will a white drake be accepted? I have had problems with a white cockerel only mating the white/pale hens in the flock and completely ignoring the black ones, with the resultant poor hatches and only white chicks...
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