4 eggs, 4 ducks....do I not have a male?

[DuckyMama92]

I have 4 Pekins, and we have been getting eggs daily since October 30 (2015). They are, as of today, 6 months old. No drake feathers, but one of my babies peeps/quacks and tries to mate (or simulates mating?) with one of the other ducks. All the other ducks are LOUD. But we have been getting 4 eggs every day for about 2 weeks now. Do I have 4 females? I cant tell!!!

 

[User353335]

Sometimes ducks, especially new laying ducks, will lay two eggs at once. As far as telling a drake (male duck) from a duck (female duck) we can look at more than egg production... here are some "tips"

First, ignore the "hop on top" game. That can be performed by both males and females, and it's not really a reliable indicator of much. The only real way this can help at all is if you see a penis. If you see a penis, obviously... that's a male. Ducks are one of the rare birds that do have penises. They stay inside their body until "hop on top" time, and then they will come out.

Now, the easiest way to tell with your ducks probably will be the quacking noises. If you follow the link below, you can find out the noises male and female ducks make. The male makes a raspy, much quieter noise. It almost sounds like a frog... to the point that I call my drake "kermit" sometimes. Female ducks make a pronounced quacking noise. There are some examples below.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mallard/sounds

You can also tell the difference sometimes by size. The drakes will typically have thicker necks and larger bodies than females.

Lastly, you can look at the the plumage. Male ducks will typically have a "sex feather" on their bottom. It flips up. You can see an example in the far pekin duck in the image found at the link below.

http://www2.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/Images/Pair_of_Pekin_ducks2.jpg

Hope this helps!

 

[DuckyMama92]

Do these mallard quacks sound similar to Pekin quacks? Because if thats the case, I have four females :O

 

[User353335]

Yes they do. Here's a video with a Pekin drake.

 

[User353335]

With the limited knowledge we have, I'd guess your correct in thinking that you have 4 female ducks.

 

[DuckyMama92]

Thank you so much for the video. Definitely cleared it up. We got lucky and have 4 females! Especially considering we are still getting 4 eggs a day