Muscovy ducks gender?

[ruthhope]

Are males expected to start huffing at this age - 3 months? Well, none of mine is huffing.... so - females?? Or should I check their sound again in another month?

Males and females may declare their voice at 3 months but will certainly be in full voice by 4 months. Males dont trill and then go on to huff and puff. If your ducks are trilling now as I thought you said, they are female. The female trilling is quite different from young duckling chirping!!

 

[Johnchickens2]

Males and females may declare their voice at 3 months but will certainly be in full voice by 4 months. Males dont trill and then go on to huff and puff. If your ducks are trilling now as I thought you said, they are female. The female trilling is quite different from young duckling chirping!!

Yes, they definitely sound like mature females (which I had in the past) when excited/scared!
No puff at all when excited/scared.
So, I guess the breeder was right after all... even though all that time I was completely sure that the 'white' one, which has always been much bigger, is a male....

 

[Canadian Wind]

Males and females may declare their voice at 3 months but will certainly be in full voice by 4 months. Males dont trill and then go on to huff and puff. If your ducks are trilling now as I thought you said, they are female. The female trilling is quite different from young duckling chirping!!

I actually caught one of my drakes, when he was much younger, trilling... Threw me for a loop, as I was sure he was male, then got all depressed over it. He's now huffing and stuff and growing into his caruncles nicely and is much larger than the females. Unsure how old he was at the time, maybe 2 months?

Sorry, don'r mean to confuse even more, lol!

 

[ruthhope]

I actually caught one of my drakes, when he was much younger, trilling... Threw me for a loop, as I was sure he was male, then got all depressed over it. He's now huffing and stuff and growing into his caruncles nicely and is much larger than the females. Unsure how old he was at the time, maybe 2 months?

Sorry, don'r mean to confuse even more, lol!

Not even muscovy voice is definitive early!!! By 4 months, I think we can be certain but someone somewhere will now tell us about a duck that changed sex at 6 months old!!!

 

[Canadian Wind]

Lol, most probably! I'm hoping that my latest batch changes. So far, it looks like four drakes and two ducks. Sigh. But they're only around 8 weeks old or so.

 

[Johnchickens2]

So, I'm guessing the best thing I can do is waiting and looking for eggs??

 

[Canadian Wind]

Nah, honestly by four months there is no mistaking them.

Usually.

 

[Johnchickens2]

Nah, honestly by four months there is no mistaking them.

Usually.

What should I check at 4 month age in order to be sure?

 

[Canadian Wind]

Size and sound. Although that's easier for me since I have so many to compare to.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Even though I have had Muscovy since 2004 It can be really hard to sex them but I am going by leg size and looks like their legs are set pretty far apart under their body. My females legs are set so close together they about step on their own feet when walking those who have females muscovy don't see this with their females?
I raised one inside because his mama didn't want him and I swore he was female until around 3.5 months. I was wrong. lol