ducks breeding

[Farmerben308]

hi i have 2 pekins and they are brother and sister i think guy i got them from didn't say but i'm pretty sure they are the same age under 10 months old not sure exalctly how old. will they breed and how old till the female lays eggs

 

[Orca5094]

Hi there! Yes, if they are male and female they will most likely breed. If they are indeed brother and sister, it's probably not best to hatch eggs from them, though. That is just asking for genetic problems. Were you planning on raising ducklings from them?

Females typically start laying around 6 months old, but sometimes winter interferes with this timeline and they may not start to lay until the following Spring.

 

[Farmerben308]

ok and yes i was hoping to get more ducks from the two but i could just get one or two females

 

[jducour]

If you want to raise ducklings from them, it might be best to add another adult female to your flock first, to broaden the gene pool. The first generation might be ok, but their offspring could have some serious problems. Do you have any pictures of this pair? Or a video? It can be hard to tell the gender of Pekin ducks if you don't know what to look for.

 

[Farmerben308]

well i know for sure they are male and female so thats not an issue

 

[jducour]

well i know for sure they are male and female so thats not an issue

Ok, I just figured I'd ask Most Pekins are laying by 6 months, just wanted to be sure you didn't have two males.

 

[Farmerben308]

but just in case the guy was wrong how do you tell

 

[jducour]

but just in case the guy was wrong how do you tell

The most obvious sign of gender in a Pekin is that the male will have a curl on the top of its tail. The female will have a straight tail, no curl. The best way to check the gender though, is by their voice. A male duck sounds like a cricket/toad whisper. A female (especially a large Pekin) will have a loud honking quack.

Here is some audio. Pick them up individually and listen to them talk. It is hard to listen to one when they are running around together.

http://www.majesticwaterfowl.org/artquacks.htm

 

[Farmerben308]

yah im pretty sure one is male one is female but tomorrow i wll make sure
also does the size matter because one is about 4 to 5 inches taller

 

[jducour]

yah im pretty sure one is male one is female but tomorrow i wll make sure
also does the size matter because one is about 4 to 5 inches taller

I male pekin is usually larger than a female.