Hissing duckling

[nive]

Do both males and females hiss?

My 6 week old mallard just hunched low to the floor with its neck stretched and hissed at the cat, I hoping it's an indication of sex

 

[cymbaline]

I've seen both genders react that way when my cats came near them. At 6 weeks though, you may be able to sex by quack: http://www.majesticwaterfowl.org/artquacks.htm Both of my mallard females were occasionally quacking at that age.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

I've also had both genders react to my cat as well as my dogs that way at first. I don't think you can tell anything about a duck's gender from how they react at that age to other animals.

 

[nive]

It's still sounding very peepy at the moment so no luck voice sexing.

 

[Orca5094]

If it's still peeping at 6 weeks old, it is most likely a male. Females tend to start adding it little quacks here and there as early as two weeks old. It should definitely be quacking by this age if it were female, at least some of the time.

 

[cymbaline]

If it's still peeping at 6 weeks old, it is most likely a male. Females tend to start adding it little quacks here and there as early as two weeks old. It should definitely be quacking by this age if it were female, at least some of the time.

I second this. All 3 females that I've raised have started quacking (at least every now and then) between about 3-5 weeks. The boys didn't really start rasping until at least 7, I think, and it was a very subtle change.

 

[nive]

It's currently making and odd noise, sounds like it's rolling dice, pretty sure it has a pebble in its mouth lol

Thanks for all the replys

 

[nive]

Yup..... Just spat out a couple of pebbles lol