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Author Topic: Miniature crested ducks  (Read 2042 times)

lord flynn

  • Joined Mar 2012
Miniature crested ducks
« on: April 08, 2021, 07:20:31 pm »
Hi, wondered if anyone has any experience of these please-I bought a pair last year and they are highly entertaining and quite different to my beloved Muscovy ducks. I’d like to breed some more as she is a good layer and they forage well. Anyone know if she will go broody? I no longer have an incubator but if she’s not likely to sit, I can stick some under a Muscovy hen at some point but would rather she sat if she’s going to. Have read conflicting reports of broodiness online so wondered if anyone kept hem on here.

arobwk

  • Joined Nov 2015
  • Kernow: where 2nd-home owners rule !
Re: Miniature crested ducks
« Reply #1 on: April 08, 2021, 10:36:42 pm »
Hi [member=24953]lord flynn[/member] - I know extremely little about ducks, but I'd be really interested in seeing a pic' of your miniature crested ducks. 

roddycm

  • Joined Jul 2013
Re: Miniature crested ducks
« Reply #2 on: April 09, 2021, 12:58:16 am »
Some will sit others won't others will sit half way and then give up... theyre not as reliable as muscovies. Only time will tell what yours is like! Id personally hatch some under a muscovy and then let her try. In addition if the drake is also crested you can expect 25% of the ducklings to die in the shell before hatching as homozygous crested gene is lethal. This is why many breed crested to non crested giving you 50%crested and 50% plain. You can still breed crested to crested just keep in mind if some don't hatch that is why! Good luck!

lord flynn

  • Joined Mar 2012
Re: Miniature crested ducks
« Reply #3 on: April 09, 2021, 10:21:52 am »
thanks roddycm, neither are actually crested and am not interested in breeding them crested. (There is actually a tiny doubt as to whether they are actually pure crested miniatures at all but they are bonny garden ducks).


 I will wait until I get a broody muscovy which should be fairly soon and let her have 10 and see what I get. I just wondered given the different incubation times whether it would be advisable.


arobwk I will see if I can post pics on here, I seem to remember it was difficult. I paid quite a lot for them but had my doubts from the start and have had a couple of duck people tell me they are crosses but that could be down to me not being able to take good photos of them.

sarah angus

  • Joined Nov 2013
Re: Miniature crested ducks
« Reply #4 on: April 13, 2021, 07:40:55 am »
Hello there lflynn, love the look of crested ducks. I used to breed Calls and always wanted a crested call in the flock but never materialised. Hey ho!
Further to previous post, roddyc. I'd also read the crested phenotype being a mutation similar to say spina biffida. So calling it x and normal X the crested u have should be Xx, ie heterozygous for crested, looks crested but lives. xx is the homozygous, and dies in shell, develops without a skull! So if yours are Xx boy and Xx girl statistically 50% offspring will be Xx like parents, 25% XX, non crested and 25% xx not viable. Hence probably best not too breed crested with crested. Would be interesting to see their parent birds and maybe source a XX non crested.
Just a thought. Sure u all know that anyway.
Miss my flock. Rehomed them to simplify. Helped during this pandemic, dreadful business.
Role on peace and order!
Have a super day. Sarah

lord flynn

  • Joined Mar 2012
Re: Miniature crested ducks
« Reply #5 on: April 17, 2021, 09:42:49 am »
thank you Sarah, I was told their mum was crested (and saw a photo) but due to my experience, and the experience of others with this particular breeder I just can't put money on them being what I thought.


 I've just put 8 eggs under a broody muscovy so I will report back in a month hopefully. I have to say I don't really like the idea of lethal genes/deformities so long term I will try and establish an XX flock. They are highly entertaining! Am having a break from breeding muscovy this year, the drakes are so hard to rehome but have got myself down to two 'breeding' pens from 4 and its something of a relief.

roddycm

  • Joined Jul 2013
Re: Miniature crested ducks
« Reply #6 on: April 17, 2021, 10:57:16 pm »

lord flynn

  • Joined Mar 2012
Re: Miniature crested ducks
« Reply #7 on: May 15, 2021, 01:50:33 pm »
Update  :excited:  She ended up with 9 eggs under her, 7 have hatched yesterday/today and I'll leave the other two in there just to see for a day or so. Three appear to be crested and I have an assortment of colours-provided mallard derived breed duckling down is similar to muscovy duckling down, I have everything from nearly pure white, through toffee (mum is toffee) blue to black.


Since my last post, Mrs Quackers went convincingly broody and is sitting on 5 eggs for about 8/9 days now so we'll see how she does. Fingers crossed for plenty of girls!

 

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