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When Can You Tell?

post #1 of 7
6/9/12 at 10:00am
Thread Starter 

Hey all,

I'm a new owner of a Mallard duckling and just have a question.

How old does a duckling have to be before you can determine it's gender?

I've named my duckling Chance,but I don't know if it's a boy.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you! big_smile.png

Scarlet:a Rhode Island Red~Sonic:a back-from-the-dead splash Silkie Roo

Rosey:a Buff Silkie Hen~Pilgrim:a Quail Belgian Bearded D'anver Bantam Roo

Elvis:a Blue Polish x Silkie Pullet(?)~Sinatra:a Black&White Silkie x Dominique Pullet(?)

Calloway:a Splash Silkie Pullet(?)~I love my chickens!!I can't wait for our adventures ahead!

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Scarlet:a Rhode Island Red~Sonic:a back-from-the-dead splash Silkie Roo

Rosey:a Buff Silkie Hen~Pilgrim:a Quail Belgian Bearded D'anver Bantam Roo

Elvis:a Blue Polish x Silkie Pullet(?)~Sinatra:a Black&White Silkie x Dominique Pullet(?)

Calloway:a Splash Silkie Pullet(?)~I love my chickens!!I can't wait for our adventures ahead!

Reply

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post #2 of 7
6/9/12 at 6:56pm

You cant start to tell around 3 weeks if you hear a humming when they are just sitting around - by 6 weeks they are quacking. Females quack and males dont. I actually had several females start that humming sound in week 2 - I am on my 3rd hatching of ducks so I am used to hearing the sound now and can pick it out early.

Married mom of 2 boys & 10 duckies! My husband thinks I am crazy with loving these ducks!

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Married mom of 2 boys & 10 duckies! My husband thinks I am crazy with loving these ducks!

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post #3 of 7
6/9/12 at 10:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Padfoot417 View Post

Hey all,

I'm a new owner of a Mallard duckling and just have a question.

How old does a duckling have to be before you can determine it's gender?

I've named my duckling Chance,but I don't know if it's a boy.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you! big_smile.png

The males have the tail up, the females down, and the female is more noisythumbsup.gif

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I had 4 ducks, 2 pekin, 1 black swedish, but I had to leave them in a farm, I want have a farm in the future.

Visit my blog about my ducks

99.999% of girl would die if Justin Bieber appeared at their doorstep and asked for a date. If your that 0.0001% Who's wiping blood from your fist, put this in your siggy.

Reply

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬­▬▬▬

I had 4 ducks, 2 pekin, 1 black swedish, but I had to leave them in a farm, I want have a farm in the future.

Visit my blog about my ducks

99.999% of girl would die if Justin Bieber appeared at their doorstep and asked for a date. If your that 0.0001% Who's wiping blood from your fist, put this in your siggy.

Reply
post #4 of 7
6/10/12 at 3:42am
Tail up and down doesn't tell anything. Vent sexing, quacks, or waiting for the adult plumage and tail curl on the drake.

Celtic Oaks Farm LLC NPIP
Send us an EMAIL Like Us on Facebook Visit us on the web CELTICOAKS.COM
2013 waiting list ==== Our Swaps ==== Our Breeds (photos)
We CAN ship to VA (permit pending) & HI (permit required for each box)
Shipping live birds Article
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Celtic Oaks Farm LLC NPIP
Send us an EMAIL Like Us on Facebook Visit us on the web CELTICOAKS.COM
2013 waiting list ==== Our Swaps ==== Our Breeds (photos)
We CAN ship to VA (permit pending) & HI (permit required for each box)
Shipping live birds Article
Reply
post #5 of 7
6/10/12 at 3:45am
I have 2 that peep peep quietly ALL THE TIME.... No clue of their gender.
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post #6 of 7
6/10/12 at 6:39am
My mallards are very, very quiet. I have heard one quacking I think but they so seldom make a sound now. It seems the older they get the quieter they are. They use to peep a lot when you would separate them, but they don't even make a sound when separated now.

One does have a darker colored bill and the other one has more yellow in it, but it's the smaller one. It is also the more timid one, it waits for the darker billed one to check out new things.
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post #7 of 7
6/10/12 at 4:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by CelticOaksFarm View Post

Tail up and down doesn't tell anything. Vent sexing, quacks, or waiting for the adult plumage and tail curl on the drake.

 

 That, was what I meant

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I had 4 ducks, 2 pekin, 1 black swedish, but I had to leave them in a farm, I want have a farm in the future.

Visit my blog about my ducks

99.999% of girl would die if Justin Bieber appeared at their doorstep and asked for a date. If your that 0.0001% Who's wiping blood from your fist, put this in your siggy.

Reply

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬­▬▬▬

I had 4 ducks, 2 pekin, 1 black swedish, but I had to leave them in a farm, I want have a farm in the future.

Visit my blog about my ducks

99.999% of girl would die if Justin Bieber appeared at their doorstep and asked for a date. If your that 0.0001% Who's wiping blood from your fist, put this in your siggy.

Reply
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