Backyard ducks?

[Duck Drover]

Some call them hens but actually it's drake= male duck and duck for female.

I have seen people call female ducks "duck" rather than "hen" but I was not sure why someone would use "drake" for a male duck and then use a gender neutral term for a female duck. I thought they were reluctant to use the term "hen" because they think of hens as chickens and don't realize it is a term for a female. Are you saying it is more correct to call a hen duck a duck and a drake duck a drake? To me that is like calling a hen chicken a chicken rather than a hen.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have seen people call female ducks "duck" rather than "hen" but I was not sure why someone would use "drake" for a male duck and then use a gender neutral term for a female duck. I thought they were reluctant to use the term "hen" because they think of hens as chickens and don't realize it is a term for a female. Are you saying it is more correct to call a hen duck a duck and a drake duck a drake? To me that is like calling a hen chicken a chicken rather than a hen.

I had to go to Ask.com for the true answer http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_male_and_female_ducks_called

 

[keirys]

Beware of duck math its worst than chicken math, you have been warned

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We have a very small yard with 2 muscovys . They are really quiet the neighbors dont even know we have them.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Beware of duck math its worst than chicken math, you have been warned

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We have a very small yard with 2 muscovys . They are really quiet the neighbors dont even know we have them.

With Scovies you can be so sneaky.

 

[Duck Drover]

I had to go to Ask.com for the true answer http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_male_and_female_ducks_called.

That was one answer but there were other answers that state a female duck is a hen. Since anyone can post an answer that would not be the most reliable source, in my opinion.

 

[Going Quackers]

In all the books i have read the term duck= for female and drake= for male has been referenced, many do intermingle the terms but when you have both it can be confusing whether your referring to chickens or ducks.

I think for the sake of the forum, we try to use the classic terms so that everyone knows we're referring to either a chicken or a duck, helps avoid misunderstandings and confusion of what bird we are speaking of.

 

[Miss Lydia]

In all the books i have read the term duck= for female and drake= for male has been referenced, many do intermingle the terms but when you have both it can be confusing whether your referring to chickens or ducks.

I think for the sake of the forum, we try to use the classic terms so that everyone knows we're referring to either a chicken or a duck, helps avoid misunderstandings and confusion of what bird we are speaking of.

Couldn't have said it better myself. and if Duck Drover wants to call his/her duck a hen that's fine by me, but since I have chickens I'll be thinking that's what your referring to.

 

[Going Quackers]

I found this online

"
Ducks are any wild or domesticated swimming birds of the family Anatidae, typically having a broad, flat bill, short legs, and webbed feet.

• Drake is an adult male duck.
• Duck can refer to a female of the duck family.
• Ducklings are baby ducks.
• Old drake is a male duck over 1 year of age.
• Old duck is a female duck over 1 year of age.
• Young drake is a male duck under 1 year of age.
• Young duck is a female duck under 1 year of age."

Here is the page
http://www.albc-usa.org/EducationalResources/vocabulary.html

This is off the American livestock breeds conservancy

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

Like a few have already said I have no issues housing ducks with chickens and even guineas right now. It is normally because something happens to the other ducks we had. I had a pekin that I house with my flock a few years ago and now we have a rouen with our current flock. Until later today or tomorrow I am getting a few more ducks. Only thing is that i did like many people said brooded them seperate. And the ducks I found you might have to seperate by breed if you have light and heavy. My pekins kinda smashed my rouens when they were being brooded on my 1st go around with ducks.
Right now our rouen calmly follows the guineas or chickens around staying back a bit, kinda like the lone tag along. We did have issues last year with a rooster trying to breed her, guess the drake x hen is same for Roo x duck. Our roosters are kept in check mosty by the guineas unless its heavy mating season then the birds kinda each go their own way. The duck did learn however she can squat down and make it so the roos can't mount her.
My birds never seemed to bother each other with the exception of the roo/duck dealing. The hens just don't seem interested that the other one looks/sounds different. I don't think she is "IN" the pecking order.
She does make a lot more noise than the hens, but not as much as the roosters or guineas, but normally when there is something that startles or worries her.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Like a few have already said I have no issues housing ducks with chickens and even guineas right now. It is normally because something happens to the other ducks we had. I had a pekin that I house with my flock a few years ago and now we have a rouen with our current flock. Until later today or tomorrow I am getting a few more ducks. Only thing is that i did like many people said brooded them seperate. And the ducks I found you might have to seperate by breed if you have light and heavy. My pekins kinda smashed my rouens when they were being brooded on my 1st go around with ducks.
Right now our rouen calmly follows the guineas or chickens around staying back a bit, kinda like the lone tag along. We did have issues last year with a rooster trying to breed her, guess the drake x hen is same for Roo x duck. Our roosters are kept in check mosty by the guineas unless its heavy mating season then the birds kinda each go their own way. The duck did learn however she can squat down and make it so the roos can't mount her.
My birds never seemed to bother each other with the exception of the roo/duck dealing. The hens just don't seem interested that the other one looks/sounds different. I don't think she is "IN" the pecking order.
She does make a lot more noise than the hens, but not as much as the roosters or guineas, but normally when there is something that startles or worries her.

You really don't have to worry about a rooster mating with a duck, can't be done, it's when the drake wants to mate with a hen that the problems begin, they can and will kill a chicken doing so.