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Author Topic: Curly tail feathers - definitely a drake?  (Read 2366 times)

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Curly tail feathers - definitely a drake?
« on: October 27, 2020, 05:33:58 pm »
We were given 5 ducks that were hatched as a lockdown project. They were meant to be pure Cayugas, but are obviously crossed with something white (We are not that bothered, gift horse and all). One of them has a curly tail feather, the other four not. I haven't seen any mating (yet), but can I assume that we have 1 boy and 4 girls?


I would like to breed/incubate from the girls - does anyone in southern Scotland or Northern England have Cayugas, or any suggestions where I can buy a male for next spring? Anything like poultry auctions actually happening at the moment?


Would it be possible to breed the girls to something like an Aylesbury or similar meat breed?

harmony

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: Curly tail feathers - definitely a drake?
« Reply #1 on: October 27, 2020, 07:04:46 pm »
They could well be cayugas and the white patches would be considered a fault. Sounds like you have a drake and four ducks. Pick them up and see if the four quack.

arobwk

  • Joined Nov 2015
  • Kernow: where 2nd-home owners rule !
Re: Curly tail feathers - definitely a drake?
« Reply #2 on: October 27, 2020, 08:03:52 pm »
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?)
« Last Edit: October 27, 2020, 11:39:36 pm by arobwk »

Cheviot

  • Joined Sep 2012
  • Scottish Borders, north of Moffat
    • Hawkshaw Sheep yarn
Re: Curly tail feathers - definitely a drake?
« Reply #3 on: October 28, 2020, 06:16:03 am »
Lanark has a sale soon, I can’t remember the exact date but it’ll be on the website.
Cheviot, Shetland and Hebridean sheep.

Richmond

  • Joined Sep 2020
  • Norfolk
Re: Curly tail feathers - definitely a drake?
« Reply #4 on: October 28, 2020, 08:21:51 am »
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?)

Females have a loud quack, males have a quiet whispery "rasp". In the absence of tail feathers it's the easiest way of sexing a duck, once they've grown to a size where their voices have changed from the unisex duckling peep peep. Basically if you hear a duck making a lot of noise then it's female!

I recently took in 8 unwanted ducklings (yeah I know  ::) ) and 6 of them have turned out to be male. The two females are so loud it half makes me thankful they aren't all female!

macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
  • Leicester
Re: Curly tail feathers - definitely a drake?
« Reply #5 on: October 28, 2020, 09:55:10 am »
Would it be possible to breed the girls to something like an Aylesbury or similar meat breed?
Of course! You can breed them to anything that quacks  :roflanim:
All domestic ducks are the same species, just like all chickens are the same species - just different breeds! The only domestic ducks which is different is Muscovy, it doesn't come from the eurasian mallard but instead from tree perching ducks of South America - i keep both and usually they dont mix.
Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Qui? Moi?
    • ABERDON GUNDOGS for work and show
    • Facebook
Re: Curly tail feathers - definitely a drake?
« Reply #6 on: October 28, 2020, 10:12:05 am »
I think Anke maybe means the breed rather than the species  :eyelashes:- would it make sense to breed them to a meat breed for instance, as she possibly wants meat rather than eggs.
Oh and she can't mate the girls to anything that quacks - they're not lesbians  :roflanim: :roflanim: :coat:  Sorry just being facetious. 

Anke, in theory, you can mate any breed of duck to any other breed of drake depending on what you want to achieve. 

Same as dogs - cockabloodypoos are everywhere. God knows why! They aren't hypoallergenic and their temperament is extremely variable  >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Curly tail feathers - definitely a drake?
« Reply #7 on: October 28, 2020, 10:25:09 am »


Anke, 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...

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Qui? Moi?
    • ABERDON GUNDOGS for work and show
    • Facebook
Re: Curly tail feathers - definitely a drake?
« Reply #8 on: October 28, 2020, 10:29:29 am »


Anke, 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...
Good grief, it never occurred to me that animals could be colour prejudiced!  :o :o
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Curly tail feathers - definitely a drake?
« Reply #9 on: October 28, 2020, 10:39:15 am »


Anke, 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!  :o :o

macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
  • Leicester
Re: Curly tail feathers - definitely a drake?
« Reply #10 on: October 28, 2020, 03:31:13 pm »
Oh and she can't mate the girls to anything that quacks - they're not lesbians  :roflanim: :roflanim: :coat:  Sorry just being facetious. 
I should have said "anything with webbed feet" then  :roflanim:
Drakes on the other hand would would with anything that has feathers!
I had one massive muscovy drake that was literally doing that to smaller Indian runners drakes! He was trying really hard! Drakes can be quite violent when it comes to that!
One muscovy duck wanted to mate with a turkey! She sat down and lifted her tail for him - he was trying to mount her! I have video evidence of that!
« Last Edit: October 28, 2020, 03:34:30 pm by macgro7 »
Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
  • Leicester
Re: Curly tail feathers - definitely a drake?
« Reply #11 on: October 28, 2020, 03:33:38 pm »
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...
As I said above drakes are not choosy about their mates!
I had a cockerel who only wanted to mate with his breed - unfortunately I only had 1 hen which was black like him - I had to seperate her - he would chase her every time he saw her, and she got hurt because of that.
But drakes don't care...
Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

 

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