Help me figure out this confusing gender-neutral duck

[mganz42]

This is Pickles, my favorite duck. Roughly 13 weeks old in these pictures. I thought he was a drake for a while but have become less confident over time. I have two other muscovies who I'm pretty sure are drakes, but comparison hasn't been particularly useful since they are from a different clutch about a week younger. I have no confirmed female muscovies to compare to.

Pickles is the biggest of the three. However, 'he' also has a pointier tail than the others, has the smallest feet (barely, about a half centimeter difference), and has the thinnest neck (but not dramatically so). The main thing tripping me up is that Pickles had full flight feathers at 12 weeks, when the brothers still had pin feathers.

I tried posting in some Facebook groups and there wasn't really a consensus on drake or hen.

 

[Yardmom]

The voice is the clearest way to tell a male from a female Muscovy. Males will begin to huff and other sounds will disappear. Females can make a hissing similar to the huff, but will only make the hiss when agitated or broody. Females continue to make trills and other sounds.

 

[Jenbirdee]

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This is Pickles, my favorite duck. Roughly 13 weeks old in these pictures. I thought he was a drake for a while but have become less confident over time. I have two other muscovies who I'm pretty sure are drakes, but comparison hasn't been particularly useful since they are from a different clutch about a week younger. I have no confirmed female muscovies to compare to.

Pickles is the biggest of the three. However, 'he' also has a pointier tail than the others, has the smallest feet (barely, about a half centimeter difference), and has the thinnest neck (but not dramatically so). The main thing tripping me up is that Pickles had full flight feathers at 12 weeks, when the brothers still had pin feathers.

I tried posting in some Facebook groups and there wasn't really a consensus on drake or hen.

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pickles sure is cute!!

 

[mganz42]

The voice is the clearest way to tell a male from a female Muscovy. Males will begin to huff and other sounds will disappear. Females can make a hissing similar to the huff, but will only make the hiss when agitated or broody. Females continue to make trills and other sounds.

They still make duckling sounds

 

[Miss Lydia]

I am going to guess looking at the thickness of the legs this is a drake.

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

I understand why you can figure this one out! Some of them can be a bit tricky but I am going to say a male. Even though it has a straight tail sometimes drakes don't get the drake feather as they are getting their feathers as ducklings. My drake just got his drake feathers and he is 8 months old. Looking at the other features that I see like the thick legs like @Miss Lydia said above and the redness around his beak. Like a chickens comb, muscovy males have more red coloring and it is puffier and bigger.
I would say that you have a male!

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

By the way your Buff Duck is beautiful!

 

[The Moonshiner]

Male

 

[Miss Lydia]

I understand why you can figure this one out! Some of them can be a bit tricky but I am going to say a male. Even though it has a straight tail sometimes drakes don't get the drake feather as they are getting their feathers as ducklings. My drake just got his drake feathers and he is 8 months old. Looking at the other features that I see like the thick legs like @Miss Lydia said above and the redness around his beak. Like a chickens comb, muscovy males have more red coloring and it is puffier and bigger.
I would say that you have a male!

Muscovy does not get a drake feather.

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

Muscovy does not get a drake feather.

Good to know.