Dumb newbie question about our new Calls - boy vs. girl?

[lceh]

We picked up DS's Call ducks last week, a two-year-old breeding pair of whites (I think!). They came from a very experienced breeder. I found it interesting that "Rosie" the hen was the bigger of the two, while "Danny" the drake is smaller. I also noticed when we picked them up that the drake has a spot on the back of his neck where the feathers are plucked. This morning I saw "Rosie" mounting "Danny" and suddenly realized why that plucked spot is there. Now I'm thoroughly confused! Who is the male and who is the female? Neither one seems to have an obvious drake feather. Of the two, the bigger one makes a noise the most like a "quack", but without opening his/her mouth. The littler one kind of squeaks. Neither one is anywhere near as noisy as I expected Calls to be. Do we have two drakes? Or is Rosie just confused about her gender identity? We're hoping for ducklings in the spring, so we kind of need to figure this out.

Here's a pic -- "Danny" the smaller on the left, "Rosie" the bigger on the right -- who's the boy and who's the girl?

 

[Alicia G]

Bottom one looks like a boy. If you look at his tail youll see curled feathers. looks like his arent in all the way. you can also listin to there quack, females have the loud quack and male have a raspy quack.

 

[lceh]

Well, to be honest I haven't heard either one make a loud "quack", which is also why I'm confused. I thought the female would be a little more obvious based on other calls I've seen, but she doesn't open her bill to vocalize, she just squeaks a bit with her bill closed. Are some females less chatty than others? Or is it because there are only two of them and no one else to talk to?

 

[Caprice_Acres]

They're most likely not making noise because they're still new to this place. Kinda like when you bring home a new rooster and he doesn't crow for a while. You can try grabbing them and seeing who quacks and who doesn't.

 

[CityChicker]

Some are definitely quieter than others. I have several Call hens that don't make so much as even the slightest little peep, let alone a quack, LOL. It is hard to say what is going on. I would try separating them by taking one and walking off out of eye sight for several minutes to see if that entices a quack out of either. If not, you pretty much need to vent sex or wait for the drake curl. If they are currently in laying condition, you can also fairly accurately test the width of the pelvic bones by the vent. A drake's will be close together. A hen's will be about an inch to inch and a half apart if she is mature and in laying condition.

I will say though that I don't think I have ever had a pair housed by themselves where the hen was dominant over the drake to the point of mating him. I have never seen that happen in that situation. Two hens together, one mating the other- yes. Two drakes together, one mating the other- yes, as well. I haven't seen a hen be dominant over a drake in a pair setting, so at minimum they may have told you the opposite of the sexes.

 

[lceh]

Great idea to grab one and walk away! I think that solved the mystery. The bigger one definitely has a raspy quack, and the smaller was much more shrill. I guess I just misunderstood what the breeder told me. I did find it hard to imagine he'd messed up and given us two of the same sex, he's been raising poultry for a really long time.

Thanks for all the great advice!