Mandarin ducklings sexing?

[ArchBarn28]

I have 6 Mandarin ducklings. As usual I am heavy with males. Do you think I can determine at 9 weeks old that the ducklings with red bills are males? Some are really red and some look like they could be more pinkish/brownish/blackish. I'd like to be sure that the babies with red bills are in fact males and won't eventually turn brown. It seems to me that the brown bills may turn red but do the red bills turn brown?
Thanks!!!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

@The Phantom

 

[ArchBarn28]

@The Phantom

I don't understand? I guess that's why you are the phantom?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I don't understand? I guess that's why you are the phantom?

I tagged someone who knows more on the subject

 

[Sgt_P]

Mandarin ducklings and even "teenagers" are tough to tell the sex.

Adults are easy: Males have red bills and "Caution Yellow" legs. Females, greyish bills and greyish legs.

But that first summer the juveniles females can have hints of red in their bills and juvenile males have grey-ish legs.

My favorite male juvenile this year looked exactly like one of my adult females (she has a little red in her bill and her legs aren't as grey as the other females.) But I suspected he was a male. Then at about 10 weeks The little white and black feathers start to just barely show on their shoulder/chest (the beginnings of the chest bars).

So to answer your question, it's tough and a guessing game until the proof shows itself!

 

[Ram13]

Or you vent sex them

 

[Sgt_P]

Or you vent sex them

I've been warned against Vent-Sexing. Because I don't know what I'm doing, I'm told I could do damage. So I've avoided that avenue...

 

[Ram13]

Watch a video or two on how to and go slow and be gentile.Not a whole lot to it,i was more scared of it then just did it.

 

[swampfox440]

It is not that difficult to vent sex ducks or even swans . The swans are a little bit harder due to their size but even they are not too hard .