Do I have 2 females or is my drake sitting on eggs??? What!!?

[Gokutheduck]

I can't say. I've never let mine sit on unfertilized eggs. I also gather eggs everyday as I can't let anymore hatch. Plus, I can't eat duck eggs.

The thing is I didn't know until yesterday that they laid eggs. I was surprised with 8 big eggs looking at me in the nest. And recently I've been diagnosed with tiny bity of high cholesterol so I won't be eating them either. Funny thing is I'm only 24 and quite athletic. But I think my cholesterol went off the charts ever since I started eating the duck eggs.

 

[ruthhope]

So for sure they are both females?? Is every one sure or any objections? Because I'm about to go and sweep them 10 eggs in the nest and I'd rather they hatch if they are actually fertilised.

I am not sure both are females! Crazy Maizie has much more experience than me but I am not as certain as she is about the sex of Swan.

Swan's face looks male as Swan has a lot of caruncles, more than Oreole. Swan is larger than Oreole. I cannot see the tail shape well enough. Oreole has a tapered tail shape although she is holding it out fan shaped in the first photo where she is behind Swan. I cannot be certain of Swan's tail shape. Is it nicely tapered like Oreole? Or is it broader with the tail feathers the same length not tapered ?

Please do put up a link to a recording of the ducks sounds. My two male muscovies are silent most of the time although one makes the sound like he's short of breath when I first let him out of the pen in the morning and he's telling me all about it. The other opens his/her mouth and stretches his/her neck forward as if making make sounds but no sound comes out! My female chatters away all the time when she is with me. ( I think she is telling me how mean the big muscovies are and how she wants to stay with me in the house. ) She is much smaller than the big meanie muscovies and has fewer caruncles as well as a nicely tapered tail.

Please post the link to a recording of your ducks making sounds. Please try an get a photo from behind not the side showing Swan's tail.

I would just remove the eggs. And discard them at this stage. You might gather them daily while your duck (s) is/are laying and give them away fresh if you are not able to eat them

 

[BigAspirations]

In my experience, there is no mistaking the drakes from the ducks. The girls are sweet, small (noticeably smaller than the drake - not just overall size but also delicate), have obviously thinner legs and a way less boofy head. And if you have a drake and not yet had to witness the mating, you sure are lucky! They are not at all discrete. It’s confronting. So I’m with crazy maizie and would say 2 girls.
I wouldn’t eat summer eggs after 10 days in a normal summer, but this Aussie summer isn’t exactly “normal” so far.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

This is a mature drake - notice his caruncles. He huffs and never peeps. He only peeped when he was a duckling. But after 6 months or so, he has never peeped again. He only huffs and he huffs almost constantly when I'm out with him. Oh and my drake snorts.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

This is one of the hens. If you didn't have anything to compare her to you might think she's a drake.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

I am not sure both are females! Crazie Maize has much more experience than me but I am not as certain as she is about the sex of Swan.

Swan's face looks male as Swan has a lot of caruncles, more than Oreole. Swan is larger than Oreole. I cannot see the tail shape well enough. Oreole has a tapered tail shape although she is holding it out fan shaped in the first photo where she is behind Swan. I cannot be certain of Swan's tail shape. Is it nicely tapered like Oreole? Or is it broader with the tail feathers the same length not tapered ?

Swan looks like she has more caruncles because she is white so you can see more but, if you look at the knob at the end of their caruncle mask, they both have similarly sized knobs.
Tails can be an indicator, but not always. As well, size can be too. But, white muscovies tend to be bigger. I have 2 drakes from the same hatch, one is pure white the other is chocolate, there is a noticeable difference in size between the two of them.

Real differences are that males have basically 3 body sections when you look at them from the side and top. Females have basically 2. Compared to a male, the females legs and feet are considerably smaller. Males huff and females peep and trill unless provoked then they can make a Goose-like sound. Male muscovy are almost constantly making the huff sound; whereas, the female muscovy is fairly quiet.

Honestly, the photos posted aren't the best for sexing visually.

If Gokutheduck, could take pics from the side and the top, it would be easier. Plus, if they could put their hand next to the feet and legs, it makes a better comparison.
As well, muscovy males aren't known to nest. I'm not saying it couldn't happen, but to nest and peep would be a super rare occurrence.

I agree a video would help.

 

[Gokutheduck]

I am not sure both are females! Crazy Maizie has much more experience than me but I am not as certain as she is about the sex of Swan.

Swan's face looks male as Swan has a lot of caruncles, more than Oreole. Swan is larger than Oreole. I cannot see the tail shape well enough. Oreole has a tapered tail shape although she is holding it out fan shaped in the first photo where she is behind Swan. I cannot be certain of Swan's tail shape. Is it nicely tapered like Oreole? Or is it broader with the tail feathers the same length not tapered ?

Please do put up a link to a recording of the ducks sounds. My two male muscovies are silent most of the time although one makes the sound like he's short of breath when I first let him out of the pen in the morning and he's telling me all about it. The other opens his/her mouth and stretches his/her neck forward as if making make sounds but no sound comes out! My female chatters away all the time when she is with me. ( I think she is telling me how mean the big muscovies are and how she wants to stay with me in the house. ) She is much smaller than the big meanie muscovies and has fewer caruncles as well as a nicely tapered tail.

Please post the link to a recording of your ducks making sounds. Please try an get a photo from behind not the side showing Swan's tail.

I would just remove the eggs. And discard them at this stage. You might gather them daily while your duck (s) is/are laying and give them away fresh if you are not able to eat them

I'll definitely record a video tomorrow (it's night In Australia) and post it. And for the eggs, I've moved all 10 of them in the fridge. I candled each and they seemed clean from inside. Let's see

 

[Gokutheduck]

In my experience, there is no mistaking the drakes from the ducks. The girls are sweet, small (noticeably smaller than the drake - not just overall size but also delicate), have obviously thinner legs and a way less boofy head. And if you have a drake and not yet had to witness the mating, you sure are lucky! They are not at all discrete. It’s confronting. So I’m with crazy maizie and would say 2 girls.
I wouldn’t eat summer eggs after 10 days in a normal summer, but this Aussie summer isn’t exactly “normal” so far.

I know right?!! One day would be burning the concrete off the roads and the very same day evening would be pouring hails lol

 

[Gokutheduck]

Swan looks like she has more caruncles because she is white so you can see more but, if you look at the knob at the end of their caruncle mask, they both have similarly sized knobs.
Tails can be an indicator, but not always. As well, size can be too. But, white muscovies tend to be bigger. I have 2 drakes from the same hatch, one is pure white the other is chocolate, there is a noticeable difference in size between the two of them.

Real differences are that males have basically 3 body sections when you look at them from the side and top. Females have basically 2. Compared to a male, the females legs and feet are considerably smaller. Males huff and females peep and trill unless provoked then they can make a Goose-like sound. Male muscovy are almost constantly making the huff sound; whereas, the female muscovy is fairly quiet.

Honestly, the photos posted aren't the best for sexing visually.

If Gokutheduck, could take pics from the side and the top, it would be easier. Plus, if they could put their hand next to the feet and legs, it makes a better comparison.
As well, muscovy males aren't known to nest. I'm not saying it couldn't happen, but to nest and peep would be a super rare occurrence.

I agree a video would help.

I did add a few more photos later to someone's comment. But will definitely make a video tomorrow

 

[black_cat]

I have to say, I clicked on this thread randomly and I don't know anything about ducks, but now I'm invested