Sexing Rouen Ducks--6 weeks

my sunwolf

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7 Years
Apr 22, 2012
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Southwest Virginia
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It's hard to believe that my babies are already 6 weeks old!

I know that you can sex ducks by listening for the quack or other honking sounds in the ducks and the peeps and silent hissing from the drakes. So far, only one of my Rouens has quacked when I've picked them up (at 3 weeks old), and so I tagged her with a leg band.

Now, as I look at them, I've noticed that some of them have a greenish sheen to their head and tail feathers. The girl with the leg band has a dull sparrow-brown color on both her head and tail. Could this mean that I have 5 drakes and 1 duck?

Here's a general shot of everybody:



Here's a closeup of their heads:


Can y'all spot the girl I think is a duck from these photos? And do you agree that the "head color" theory is a good way to sex Rouens?

Thanks for any help!
 
I have 3 Rouens ducks and color wise I don't agree with the green head meaning its a girl or boy as all 3 of mine have it and I had them sexed from a hatchery 2 girls and a boy. I'll try to get a pic to post but its hard. For their colors you can't start noticing the boys from girls until 9 weeks when they start to molt into their adult feathers. The boys will start to get white all over his wings first and then I'm not sure as I'm not that far yet lol. However one if my girls started to turn white too but only the very tips and I voice sexed them and indeed I only have one male. I find if you pick them up and hold them there they will start to make quacks and what not when they are ready to get down. That's what I did to get a few of my boys to quack for me and it does work. You should come join the Rouen thread. Congrats on your babies! They are cute.
 
The green headed ones are male and females are a either light color or darker. I have 2 yr olds and 1 male and 1 female.
 
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Sheen isn't diagnostic...but I see 5 drakes AND 1 duck.

Clint

Hm, if you are not going by the green sheen on their heads, how do you see the difference between them? They're not showing drake feathers. The girl's got orange on the bill, though I've heard with hatchery ducks this method is not reliable. The duck with the light-colored head is the only one that quacks. She is also smaller than the others. I just don't see very many distinguishing physical traits other than head color at this age (now 8 weeks).
 
Sorry all, I meant to come back to this thread! The method was absolutely 100% correct, there were 5 drakes and 1 duck, as you can see in the photo below:



I ended up keeping the drake in the center with the greenest head.
 
the males deff will have more pronounced streeks of black when small maybe two three weeks when the mails start to get bigger and have deff a bigger bill they all have the personalities ladys very sweet
 
What is your all’s guess about these guys?
They are around 3 weeks old.
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