I have some unsexed ducklings which are just starting to feather up. Some
are distinctly darker than others, more olive than khaki, and I was
wondering if there were different shades of brown within the breed. Most
are slightly lighter with a each feather having a fleck of darker colour.
They are not old enough for the males to have their curly tail feathers. I
need to choose a male and two females for the children next door before
Christmas. None have yellow legs that I can see which may indicate they
have something else in their breeding (maybe cayuga??).

I have some unsexed ducklings which are just starting to feather up.
Some are distinctly darker than others, more olive than khaki, and I
was wondering if there were different shades of brown within the
breed. Most are slightly lighter with a each feather having a fleck
of darker colour. They are not old enough for the males to have their
curly tail feathers. I need to choose a male and two females for the
children next door before Christmas. None have yellow legs that I can
see which may indicate they have something else in their breeding
(maybe cayuga??).

They shouldn't have yellow legs. The drakes should have orange legs and the
ducks legs should be as near to the body colour as possible.

Tina

Within the Khaki Ca,pbells there is a dark sport which has been used by some
breeders in the past to create some degree of sex linkage.
The boys are still darker headed with the glossy features of the male
The boys should have dark ornage legs and the girls legs as close as
possible to her own body colour

Thanks Jill. I'll keep an eye out for orange, not yellow, legs. I don't
think they are all the same age either as some are quite a bit bigger
with more feathers. Maybe the dark ones are of the sport variety. This
morning (about 6am) I noticed a slight variation in the leg colour,
maybe 4 or 5 of the 11 total so would be very happy if they are the
drakes. The sun was shining under their bodies so their legs were easier
to see.

Some of the ducklings also have a small splash of white at the throat
which I think is not in the standard so I may eat them although the
children have taken a fancy to them so they may be the ones they get as
they are only for pets, not breeding.

BTW how does the sex linkage with the dark sport work?

Jill wrote:

Within the Khaki Ca,pbells there is a dark sport which has been used by
some
breeders in the past to create some degree of sex linkage.
The boys are still darker headed with the glossy features of the male
The boys should have dark ornage legs and the girls legs as close as
possible to her own body colour



--
Ginny - in West Australia

When you see the sun rise, remember,
it's a good day - you're still alive!

Some of the ducklings also have a small splash of white at the throat
which I think is not in the standard so I may eat them although the
children have taken a fancy to them so they may be the ones they get
as they are only for pets, not breeding.

BTW how does the sex linkage with the dark sport work?

Hi Ginny,
How are the grass hoppers up your way.
How bad has the drought affected you.
The grass hoppers have been here for the last 2 days but not as bad
as 50 km out north of town .
I have a little green in the creek but it won't be here by Monday..
keep smiling
Peggy

Peggy wrote:
Hi Ginny,
How are the grass hoppers up your way.
How bad has the drought affected you.
The grass hoppers have been here for the last 2 days but not as bad
as 50 km out north of town .
I have a little green in the creek but it won't be here by Monday..
keep smiling
Peggy

Peggy -- PLEASE PLEASE will you take some of my rain away -- free --
We had a nice -- not hot not exceptional but mostly dry- summer and a long
cold dry winter and spring -- however autumn has made up for it
We are over 1.5 metres of rain this year.
:~(
Everything and everyone is sodden -- fields are saturated and its so dark
in
the middle of the day that the driveway lights come on - dusk sensitive
:~(((

--

regards
Jill Bowis

Pure bred utility chickens and ducks
Housing; Equipment, Books, Videos, Gifts
Herbaceous; Herb and Alpine nursery
Working Holidays in Scotland
http://www.kintaline.co.uk

Peggy wrote:
Hi Ginny,
How are the grass hoppers up your way.

How bad has the drought affected you.

The grass hoppers have been here for the last 2 days but not as bad
as 50 km out north of town .
I have a little green in the creek but it won't be here by Monday..
keep smiling
Will do
Peggy

Peggy -- PLEASE PLEASE will you take some of my rain away -- free --
We had a nice -- not hot not exceptional but mostly dry- summer and a long
cold dry winter and spring -- however autumn has made up for it
We are over 1.5 metres of rain this year.
:~(
PLEASE send some down under! We will take it off your hands, maybe not

Everything and everyone is sodden -- fields are saturated and its so dark in
the middle of the day that the driveway lights come on - dusk sensitive
:~(((

We are just finding out what daylight savings is all about. We get up at

Jill wrote:
Peggy wrote:
Hi Ginny,
How are the grass hoppers up your way.

Locust have eaten the lawn and most of the flower and vegie garden
They have been here for weeks.

How bad has the drought affected you.

We are on our third shift of the pump for water for the house garden and
we will be buying water for the house before Christmas BUT the farm
stock have plenty of water and feed now most of the harvest is off. Only
another day and a half and the wheat will be finished for another year.

The grass hoppers have been here for the last 2 days but not as bad
as 50 km out north of town .
I have a little green in the creek but it won't be here by Monday..
keep smiling
Will do
Peggy

Peggy -- PLEASE PLEASE will you take some of my rain away -- free --
We had a nice -- not hot not exceptional but mostly dry- summer and a
long
cold dry winter and spring -- however autumn has made up for it
We are over 1.5 metres of rain this year.
:~(
PLEASE send some down under! We will take it off your hands, maybe not
the whole lot but some would be nice.

Everything and everyone is sodden -- fields are saturated and its so
dark in
the middle of the day that the driveway lights come on - dusk sensitive
:~(((

We are just finding out what daylight savings is all about. We get up at
5am and now it is pitch black with the sun not coming up until 6am.
Hubby works until dark and isn't getting in for tea until 9pm so it
makes for a long day.


--
Ginny - in West Australia

When you see the sun rise, remember,
it's a good day - you're still alive!

I have some unsexed ducklings which are just starting to feather up.
Some are distinctly darker than others, more olive than khaki, and I was
wondering if there were different shades of brown within the breed. Most
are slightly lighter with a each feather having a fleck of darker
colour. They are not old enough for the males to have their curly tail
feathers. I need to choose a male and two females for the children next
door before Christmas. None have yellow legs that I can see which may
indicate they have something else in their breeding (maybe cayuga??).

--
Ginny - in West Australia

When you see the sun rise, remember,
it's a good day - you're still alive!

Hi, Ginny!
I find it especially helpful to LISTEN to the little tykes. Even at
this young age, females are making louder noises closer to "quack" than
the males' softer "raab" sound.
Hope that helps.