Mallard Molt

[ChcknLady]

At what age should mallards get their male coloring, if they are going to be males? I have 2 that are about 12 wks. that are still female colored and loud as can be but one is significantly smaller than the other. I was thinking I may have one of each based on size but color would give me a definitive answer right?

 

[streemers]

mine where 3 mths but they where welsh harliquins

 

[monarc23]

my male mallard is 14 weeks old tomorrow, he didn't start moulting into his big boy colors until about 2 weeks ago... so with that in mind if you have a drake he should be starting up soon.

I knew at about 2 weeks old for sure that my drake was indeed a drake as compaired to my duck his head was already shiney green (the dark black top of his head if you looked at it closely) and his back behind his wings was black and at around 8 weeks old this area started having an emerald green shine to it where as my ducks back behind her tail stayed tan and patterened... then the duck started quacking a lot at about 10 weeks and my drake started making his whisper quacks

This was my pair a few weeks ago:

^^The drake is the one at the bottom with the darker back^^


If you look close here you could see the emerald green shimmer on his back:

and here he is yesterday:

what's odd is I hear people say they get all this a 2 months old!?! I wish! They also say to look for the male curly tail thing at 2 months old, no way my drake that was the last thing he got when he moulted was that curly tail lol!

ETA: not to mention his bill was greenish for weeks

where as the ducks stayed that yellowish

 

[ChcknLady]

Thank you sooo much. I've heard look for color and drake curl but no one says when! It's so hard to not know.

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
oh yeah I know how you feel! And it's so hard finding info online too! I had to research on WILD mallards just to find out that this year i'd see my drake moult into his adult feathers

I thought I had to wait until spring but here spring born babies mate around august so Chuy (my drake) is right on time getting in his big boy feathers

I just love my duckies! Did you get yours from Tractor Supply as well

 

[ChcknLady]

I did! I got my pekin and mallards from TSC along with most of my chicks (I work at TSC, not Indiana's though).The Swedes I got from a girl near Mt.Pleasant.
I'll try to get some pics of my clan 2morow but I have a hard time getting the pics onto my pc.

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
Mt. Pleasant sounds familiar but I don't know exactly where it is. Im pleased to see you atleast know were indiana is (i dont LIVE in indiana but I did get my ducks from there)

I live in a small town called robinson but i didnt use that as my location on here because everyone thinks i mean robinson township (pittsburgh) LOL im more near westmorland than anything

5 min walk down the road to be exact

 

[xfilesnumber1fan]

My 5 baby mallards are 13 weeks and still have not turned yet..I can see some green in the heads I know I have 2 males and 3 females out of them...My other 2 mallards didnt molt untill 16 weeks...

 

[ChcknLady]

Ugh! 16 weeks I don't think I can wait that long!They both quack very loud, when do their voices change to raspy if their males or do they start out like that?

Monarc23-I surprisingly know where robinson is (we had to deliver a mower there awhile back)!

 

[xfilesnumber1fan]

Quote:
If they BOTH quack they are female...I knew the boys from the girls at 6 weeks..I had 6 and stupid raccoon got one..So at the time was 3 boys and 3 girls..It was a boy I lost..
Sorry pic sucks they were moving alot..The 2 in the middle are males females on the outside by the pool wall...

Left to right..Girl,boy,girl close to the gate boy,butt pic girl,then boy..That was before I lost the 1 to a raccoon..

Here are my adult males they are in this pic..6 months

2 of my adult hens