How do you sex ducklings?

[brooster]

Is there a way? Does anyone know how to?

 

[Critter Crazy]

Easy!! Wait till they are grown, and get their Drake feathers!!!

If they dont get Drake feathers then they are Females!!

 

[rufus]

I suspect you would do it the same way you would sex chicks. I have watched them do it; they turn the chick upside down and squeeze a little dookie out of their vent. Watch carefully, and you will see a small bump on the roosters. A loop helps.

That said, I have never done it myself.

I am more interested in finding a method to detect the sex of an egg before it is incubated. Hens to the incubator, rooster to the skillet.

Rufus

 

[Chickenlover88]

I have always vent sexed my ducklings its actually very easy.

How to hold the duckling

Instructions
1. Select a warm place so the ducklings do not get a chill, or cold.
2. Hold the duckling in the palm of your left hand with its head downwards, and with the belly outwards. Take hold of the tail between the thumb and first finger of the right hand. With the second finger of the right hand, press in slightly inwards and upwards. This will expose the vent. Then with the thumb and first finger of the right hand, press the vent back and open it up. Do this very slowly and gently. This last movement may make the duckling empty the contents of its lower intestine. if this happens, gently wipe away the droppings with a rag and look closely at the vent.
3. If it is a female there will be a small cone shaped organ ending in the vent. However, if it is a male the vent opens more and a small pointed shape appears now and again. Sometimes it stays in view. This shape is small and only about 2 mm in length. Sometimes it will not appear for about 25 seconds after pressing and then may only show for a second or so.
4. If the ducklings are of the Khaki Campbell breed the female the bill is about 0.5 cm shorter than the male bill and is also "dished" or curved. The bill of the male is 0.5 cm longer and is flatter. Also the duck's heads are rounder and the drake's heads are flatter.
5. If an egg laying breed, you may wish to kill the males for meat when they are 1½ to 2 Kg in weight, and only keep one male for breeding.

If it is a male you will clearly see a penis like structure which can be black or pink in color. If it's pink it's much harder to see. If you don't want to vent sex you can wait until they are about 8 weeks old. Females have a LOUD sharp quack while males have a whispery raspy quack. Good luck!

 

[DuckLady]

I think it necessary to add that this is best done by an expert or that you observe an expert before attempting it yourself. It is easy to kill a duckling with clumsy fingers.
I always wait til the voice gives it away. It is much easier on the duckling and I don't risk injuring it.