Tufted Ducklings

A tufted duckling, just 5 weeks old. We have several ducks carrying the tufted gene. Some are for sale to keep our numbers down. They do not all have tufts, but all carry the gene which can be passed on to future generations. They can be cross bred with other ducks of a medium or medium/large size to give a proportion of ducklings with tufted heads. Tufted ducks each carry a pair of genes - one gene for a tuft, one for no tuft. Each duckling inherits one gene from each of its parent birds - if it inherits one gene for a tuft, then it will have a tuft. If two tufted ducks breed, then it is possible for the ducklings to inherit: 1) two non-tuft genes, 2) one tuft and one no-tuft, or 3) two tufted genes. In theory, 25% of ducklings will be 1) and have no tuft; 50% will be 2) and have a tuft; but sadly 25% will inherit the tuft gene from both parents - a lethal combination. These ducklings will die in their shells. Personally, we choose to cross-breed with non-tufted ducks, so we have less birds with tufts, but cannot have ducklings inheriting the lethal two tuft genes,