Muscovy duckling gender??

[Laura p]

Good morning! We have 15 Muscovy ducklings that are 4 weeks old and I'm looking for some advice on which are male and female please. Also, at what age do the males lose their voices? Here are some of the clearer pictures I was able to get this morning along with a group shot of all my ducklings and adults (minus one hen), plus 2 baby turkeys Thank you in advance for any help!

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

They are a bit young to tell their genders but you should keep an eye out on there size as drakes are larger then ducks. Also I'm not sure about the thing with the voices as I pay more attention to their sizes and time to get plumage.

 

[Laura p]

They are a bit young to tell their genders but you should keep an eye out on there size as drakes are larger then ducks. Also I'm not sure about the thing with the voices as I pay more attention to their sizes and time to get plumage.

Ok thanks! I can tell some have noticeably bigger or smaller feet than the others, while several are still in-between. What do you look for with the plumage? I’ve read that the females start to get feathers before the males, but I don’t really know what I’m looking for. Thanks!

 

[Skye'sDucks]

It's hard to tell for me as well; I want to say some are males but they are still a little young to exactly tell.

My own Musocvy babes have just finished getting fully feathered (the hens are starting to fly now!) so I've gotten a good eye for figuring out drakes/hens lol.

The drakes will typically have more of a 'roman nose' (more slanted beak, but not drastically) but the biggest thing to figuring it out is their feet will be much bigger than the females, and they'll also get a lot bigger in size than the females. The females will also get in their feathers, specifically their wing feathers, much much faster than the males.

My 'babies' are around 12 weeks old now, and the males have yet to lose their voices fully. They're starting to get their adult hiss/huff, but haven't made the change yet. I can't remember what age they will definitely lose their voice.

 

[Laura p]

It's hard to tell for me as well; I want to say some are males but they are still a little young to exactly tell.

My own Musocvy babes have just finished getting fully feathered (the hens are starting to fly now!) so I've gotten a good eye for figuring out drakes/hens lol.

The drakes will typically have more of a 'roman nose' (more slanted beak, but not drastically) but the biggest thing to figuring it out is their feet will be much bigger than the females, and they'll also get a lot bigger in size than the females. The females will also get in their feathers, specifically their wing feathers, much much faster than the males.

My 'babies' are around 12 weeks old now, and the males have yet to lose their voices fully. They're starting to get their adult hiss/huff, but haven't made the change yet. I can't remember what age they will definitely lose their voice.

Thanks!! I've been noticing that some have noticeably larger or smaller feet, while many seem in-between. And I can't discern a difference yet in their feathers starting to come in. Everyone seems to be getting tail feathers. Good to know about the huff/hiss coming in before they even lose their voice, we'll have to listen for that in another couple months.

Do you butcher any of yours, out of curiosity? And if so what age do you prefer? I've read various opinions on it

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

I haven’t had any female ducklings in a while, I have a higher rate of hatching drakes. But with my pigeons I have more females...

 

[Laura p]

I haven’t had any female ducklings in a while, I have a higher rate of hatching drakes. But with my pigeons I have more females...

Is it not normal for the ratio to be close to 50/50??

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

Is it not normal for the ratio to be close to 50/50??

One batch I had there were I think 7 drakes and 2 ducks. The temperature the eggs were incubated plays a role in it. I guess my girls just sit on the eggs and don’t have enough brakes. It should be a 50/50 ratio though.

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

With my Mallards I think I have a higher female rate. It’s been a while since I’ve hatched any so I’ll see next month or early next year in summer.

These are all my muscovies I have at the moment:

In the video the two white drakes (not including Mammoth) were hatched at the start of the year in summer. That maybe why I have more drakes because it’s very warm. And the two young ones I am yet to find out their genders. I think I may have a drake and duck possibly.

 

[Skye'sDucks]

Thanks!! I've been noticing that some have noticeably larger or smaller feet, while many seem in-between. And I can't discern a difference yet in their feathers starting to come in. Everyone seems to be getting tail feathers. Good to know about the huff/hiss coming in before they even lose their voice, we'll have to listen for that in another couple months.

Do you butcher any of yours, out of curiosity? And if so what age do you prefer? I've read various opinions on it

Yeah, it's hard to hear the huff/hiss with the males at times. It's usually if another duck gets in his way and then it gets irritated, or when they peck at each other. The females also get in their honks (for me) about the same time, and it can be easier to hear the 'adult' chirp in them, so that's another good way to tell.

No, I do not butcher them. So I'm sorry I can't answer your question. They're kept as pets and also for eggs. (We don't want hundreds of little ducklings around--even though it'd be cute! )