One of the big questions surrounding waterfowl genetics, of course, is the impact of game-farm mallards. The duckDNA program allows hunters to send in a tissue sample (a piece of the tongue) and DU will then provide a genetic breakdown of the bird. Think of it as ancestry.com for ducks. “In exchange for submitting a bird, hunters receive a certificate of pedigree that tells them the genetic percentage makeup of the samples that they've selected,” says Brasher. “These results can determine whether the bird is a hundred percent wild mallard, a hundred percent wild black duck, or if it has some hybrid ancestry [including farm genetics].”

Ducks Unlimited emphasizes its interest in this project goes beyond just providing data for the study of game-farm genetics. That said, this program will undoubtedly help researchers gain a better understanding of farm genetics on the landscape. Last year DU enrolled 300 hunters with well over 4,000 applicants.
The study is nationwide, and duckDNA is focused on samples from the mallard family—black ducks, mallards, mottled ducks, and Mexican ducks, as well as any species of duck with a unique physical appearance. Ducks Unlimited also gives hunters who weren’t selected the opportunity to contact them if they shoot a unique hybrid. This year, they are looking to enroll 600 hunters in the duckDNA program.
Earlier this year, on New York’s opening day, I shot a mallard with unique coloring. Based on the appearance, I decided to submit a DNA sample to the duckDNA program. The results, along with an explanation of the sampling process, will be featured in a follow-up story.

I can think of a two game it’s that are foreign
Chukkar and Pheasant are nonnative I wonder if they impacted native game birds.

Pheasants don’t make it here in the south. I’ve heard it was a mineral deficiency that made the eggshells soft and I heard there was a mite issue as they didn’t dust like a turkey. Not sure on chukker but I’ve never seen one or know anyone that has seen/ killed one in the wild outside their native range.

So are the farm raised mallards a different duck from wild mallards? I guess they are somehow different or the genetics wouldn't be an issue, but I don't understand how. I know that tame turkeys are actually descendants of a subspecies of wild turkey that is now extinct, and that's the reason it's illegal to release a tame turkey. Why does the dcnr allow the release of the tame mallards if they can ruin the genetics of the wild ones?

It's not an issue for pheasants and other foreign species because there are no natives, but corrupting the genetics of a native bird oughta be criminal.

Farm ducks have different bill design that keeps them from effectively feeding on natural forage. They’ve adapted a bill more suited to eat grain and pellet feed. They also have larger body with smaller wings making migration near impossible. The females also aren’t broody so they lay a bunch of eggs but don’t care for them. These characteristics have been found in first generation cross breeding and take atleast 3 generations to be worked out. I heard this from a biologist they had on the Mosey oak game keeper podcast.

Farm ducks have different bill design that keeps them from effectively feeding on natural forage. They’ve adapted a bill more suited to eat grain and pellet feed. They also have larger body with smaller wings making migration near impossible. The females also aren’t broody so they lay a bunch of eggs but don’t care for them. These characteristics have been found in first generation cross breeding and take atleast 3 generations to be worked out. I heard this from a biologist they had on the Mosey oak game keeper podcast.

Enjoyed reading this because it is new to me. Don't they release a lot of banded birds somewhere in paint rock valley