“Has anyone ever seen a white Peking Duck in love with a Rhode Island Red Hen and she’s in love with him? I have such a pair on our farm and they are just adorable as they trapse all over the farm together quacking and clucking and doing ALL the things poultry does together. This pair spends time with our other chickens and ducks, but make no mistake, they have eyes only for each other. It’s the strangest pairing and we are wondering what will happen if she was to set some eggs? What would we call them…. Chucks or Dickens?” Barbara Lee Allen Gates, NC
I just love this story and had to share it with all of you, thanks for sending it along Barbara.
Unfortunately, this sweet pair will not be proud parents any time soon.
We regularly receive questions regarding the mating of chickens and ducks, chickens and turkeys and chickens and geese.
The answer is that it is genetically impossible to produce offspring from a chicken and duck, geese or turkey pairing. There is a difference in the chromosomes. I am by no means a geneticist and will not pretend to understand the intricacies of genetics but I do know that these different species are not capable of producing offspring.
However, if you’ve ever wondered what a duck/chicken cross would look like, check out a picture of a Muscovy Duck. It’s all duck but it sure seems to have some chicken characteristics…
Also, if you’re not familiar with the Naked Neck breed of chicken, check out this picture. It was once thought to be a cross between a chicken and a turkey and is often referred to as a “turken”…
We used to have 3 Naked Necks, they were the ugliest birds I’ve ever seen but they had a wonderful temperament.
They were so ugly, they were cute.
