Author Topic: A question about Ducklings! (Read 2289 times)

BecciBoo24 · « **on:** June 25, 2012, 12:53:41 pm »

I have had my Broody hen sat on 4 aylesbury duck eggs and now my eggs have hatched! I would like to keep these ducklings as pets not for eating and was wondering if it is ok to keep the 4 ducks together despite their sex? (I don't know what sex they are!)
As these are my first ducks and I only own hens and no cockerel I don't know the protocol on inbreeding? Is it ok to keep these ducks together to possibly breed even though they may come from the same mother? (I don't know this for sure as a local farmer game them to me)
Any advice will be much appreciated!
Thanks

BecciBoo24 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 25, 2012, 09:09:32 pm »

Anyone? anything?

goosepimple · « **Reply #2 on:** June 25, 2012, 09:35:14 pm »

In breeding does happen with all livestock left in the wild, it is preferable that it doesn't for obvious reasons of passing on weak genes etc. Wait to see what sexes you have (should be able to tell in around 6 weeks) you can always get hatching eggs from ebay to supplement what you end up with or why not swap here on TAS?

jaykay · « **Reply #3 on:** June 25, 2012, 09:45:13 pm »

You don't want to keep more than one drake in a group of four, as any more and they'll make the ducks' lives a misery. You might not want to hear it but the place for spare drakes is in the freezer. Fingers crossed you've got three ducks and one drake hey?

And as GP says, swapping the one you keep for an unrelated one would be genetically much better if you're going to breed from them.
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BecciBoo24 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 25, 2012, 10:56:36 pm »

Ok thanks for the advice! Still don't know if i could eat one as I could get attached to a potato but a swap is a possibility!
Anyone know how i can tell the difference between the boys and the girls?
Also Goosepimple I have 4 lovely Soay sheep and its not often I see other people with them!
Thanks again

jaykay · « **Reply #5 on:** June 26, 2012, 06:39:58 am »

They have slightly different voices even when babies. The girls are louder and chattier (

) and eventually they will quack. The boys sound like they've got sore throats. If you pick them up, the girls' 'piping’ is clearer, again the boys sound as though they've got a slightly sore throat compared to the girls.

When they're about 20 weeks old the boys will grow a curled tail feather and then you know for sure.

BecciBoo24 · « **Reply #6 on:** June 26, 2012, 01:12:01 pm »

Thanks JayKay
Unfortunately one little duckling that took almost 3 days to hatch didn't make it- I dont know if this was becasue perhaps the egg was too hard as it was sat on by a chicken...
The other 3 are bright and healthy and very comical to watch. 2 especially peep their little heads off so fingers crossed these are female!

goosepimple · « **Reply #7 on:** June 26, 2012, 02:14:13 pm »

Hope it all works out in favour of 4 girlies

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So you keep soays, aren't they just fab - castlemilk moorits are like a slightly bigger version (and slightly prettier but say that quietly - they were bred for that reason) but they are even jumpier than the soays. You should fill in your profile so we know where you are, its always good to know where people with similar stock are