Gender of my ducks and harness training

[LilReddBurd]

Hey all. Im havin a time trying to guess the sex of these ducks. I am near certain they're males but I havent raised ducks before so Im not confident in my guess. Their sounds dont quite sound like either or to me, and they have quite an under committed drake feather (if im correct in assuming thats what it is)

Can yall tell at this stage? Theyre almost two full months old.


Also I can get the harnesses on them just fine, but lead training is another issue. They seem to be afraid of the lead being on, and will start running/pullin on the harness. Any idea how to ease them into understanding the lead?

 

[ruthhope]

I think you have two drakes! Some drake feathers are more obvious than your two's but the little noises that your two are making are unlike females. Females are loud by 2 months old -- we have a female pekin who remained virtually silent, unlike the chirpy chattering of your two -- but when she does make a noise she too is loud in a barking quack sort of way.

Drakes spend all day chattering away to each other like your two, particularly when they are brought up together. Mine come from different sources and are different ages, but they chatter together a lot. My two new boys -- rescued juvenile pekins -- chattered away together non-stop like yours.

 

[ruthhope]

I have never used a harness and lead. However, ducks avoid sticks -- my son used two long canes to teach his first ducks to go into their coop at night. He only had to move the canes which were out sideways at arms length, just a little for hte ducks to move away, and by alternating which cane he moved he could "Steer" the ducks towards the coop door. Fortunatley more recent additions to his flock learn about going into the coop from the original ducks!!

So I think you might try leaving the lead trailing on the ground behind the ducks initially and only gradually start holding the end. Perhaps try using fine thread on the end to barely raise the lead end off the ground and gradually shorted the length of fine thread until you are able to hold the end of the lead

 

[Duckduckchicken32]

Hello! The first duck in the front looks like a Drake. They second looks very questionable. I have not done lead training before, but maybe bribe them with some lettuce or something?

 

[LilReddBurd]

I think you have to drakes! Some drake feathers are more obvious than your two's but the little noises that your two are making are unlike females. Females are loud by 2 months old -- we have a female pekin who remained virtually silent, unlike the chirpy chattering of your two -- but when she does make a noise she too is loud in a barking quack sort of way.

Drakes spend all day chattering away to each other like your two, particularly when they are brought up together. Mine come from different sources and are different ages, but they chatter together a lot. My two new boys -- rescued juvenile pekins -- chattered away together non-stop like yours.

Aah I thought so, but thanks for the confirmation! They are chatty little things, and usually sound like this when talkin with each other.

 

[fatty and friends]

ducks don’t need leashes! mine use harnesses with tags when we are in public but just follow me, no leashes!