Is it possible to tell the sex of a runner duck at 8 weeks?

[Jlw0903]

No, what should I hear if I did that, that would help me determine the sex?

I guess it doesn't really matter in the long run - if she is a he it will eventually be revealed and I'll just have to see how it goes. I have 5 older females and two young ones the same age as this duck. I'll have to see how it goes..... Still hoping she turns out not to be a boy!

With that many females a drake shouldn't be too much of a problem. He may even be appreciated by your girls as ducks have pretty healthy appetites. I had 5 girls (down to 4 now) and there haven't been any issues.

 

[CoriM]

SOunds male - Watch for the black bill starting to turn green. If it turns you are looking at a male.
Hope it works out either way.

So the males will have a green beak? Her beak is definitely mostly greenish

 

[Crazy Maizie]

SOunds male - Watch for the black bill starting to turn green. If it turns you are looking at a male.
Hope it works out either way.

Different colored runners can have a green bill and be male, others it's not a good indicator. Mine are fawn and white, and as they grow, their bills have gotten green spots that keep growing together to make a green bill.

 

[CoriM]

Yes, my pekins started out with pink and orange bills and a couple of them have become so dotted up that their bills look more gray.

 

[Isadora]

Here is a video where you can hear the two voices - gray is the one I am concerned might be male:

Sounds more male than female to me. I guess time will tell for sure. But my pekin / runner cross who ended up being a female was distinctly quacking at 8 weeks old.

 

[CoriM]

Well, at 12 weeks, I know for sure it's a boy. His drake feather popped out today. I think that my other runner might be a boy as well - no feather yet, but the whispery voice. Pretty bad odds to order 3 females and have them get 2 wrong! I have a neighbor who has probably had 30 runners from the hatchery and never got a male. Oh well, I hope they're nice and we can live with them. If anyone has any advice, do tell.

 

[Miss Lydia]

So the males will have a green beak? Her beak is definitely mostly greenish

My one Female Runner had a green bill [I lost her to egg laying problems] her sister doesn't. And this one with the green bill was the first one to be lying flat for all the drakes and females too. She would also mount her sister and this was when they were 3.5 -4 months old.
Right now Your Runner sounds like a drake but I am thinking I'd give it a few more weeks. This pic is just showing bill color this was taken when they were less than a year old and Graces bill was already turning green.