Duck Gender

[twsfarm]

I have 3 mallards that are about 5 weeks old. I noticed today that 2 of them have color on their tail feathers and the other one just has a dark tail. Is this a different in the gender or just an individual trait? Image below, dark tail is on the right.

Thanks for the help!

 

[cymbaline]

Hmm, I've never heard of that being a way to determine gender. Probably just an odd trait, or maybe temporary.
At 5 weeks though, girls should be quacking soon, if not already. My three babies are about the same age, just over 5 weeks, and one has been honking since the weekend before last, and another just started yesterday.

 

[twsfarm]

Maybe the one is feathering in slower...