4 week old ducks

[DaKid]

is they any way for me to start sexing my buff ducks and my mallard at 4 weeks old , beside vent sexing

 

[jjrabbit2]

By 4-6 weeks old
Loud Qauck = Duck still peeping or raspy/whisper = Drake

 

[b.hromada]

Is this the same for geese as well?

 

[DaKid]

no way to tell by the feathers coming in on the mallard or buffs

 

[columbiacritter]

I'm gonna be really, terribly, angrily mad if the sexed runners I paid dearly for end up being drakes. I have the biggest one honking and 2 peeping at 5 wks.

 

[DaKid]

well looks like vent sexing is the best way to go .................................looks like I going to have to try it and mark them some how which one's I'm thinking are drakes and which one are da hens ..........maybe color the legs with a spot of finger nail polish .......different colors ..blue for boys and pink for girls

 

[Happycheese]

I use a non toxic sharpie. Mark the wing for a girl and on the side of the face for the boys. It gets less bright in less than a week, but never fully goes away until they are much older. By then (unless you have a ton of ducks) you usually 'know' them and can pick them out.

 

[crj]

I have 4 week old runner ducks. So far only 1 duck has tried to quack. Not that often either. I did vent sex them last week and I found that I had all girls and one boy. I used a permanent sharpie on the foot and by the next day it was gone. So much for permanent. I hope I did it right and this is what I ended up with. Fist time I've ever tried it.

When picking them out I was told to hold the ducks upside down by there feet. If they curl up to there feet and stay there it's a girl. If it falls straight down it's a boy. They were only a day or 2 old at that time. I'm hoping for the best.

I wish I could do that with chickens. No luck with straight runs........ as I hang my head shaking

 

[columbiacritter]

Quote:
That is very very dangerous to do with ducks, their legs are far more fragile than chickens. I wouldmn't risk one of mine that way.

 

[Duck_feeder]

You can use plastic zip ties loosely on their legs (cut off any extra length) to help identify them. Just make sure that it doesn't get too tight as they grow.