Muscovy ducks/ possible drake

[Lol123]

Hey so first time having muscovys and i adore them, i asked the breeder for two hens and have started to question if one of them is a drake. The main problem i have is the one in question is mating the other and worried its going to drown her, is this is normal for two females? From looking on Google i wouldn't say it looks like a drake but im not sure, its under a year old but doesn't lay yet, its the one with black on its head . Look forward to hearing what people think

 

[ProudRedneck]

Yes, you most definitely have a male that is in the background of the picture. When ducks mate, the male will grab the feathers on the back of the females head in order to hold onto her while he is mounted. Yes, it is normal for mating to look like he is drowning the female but he is not trying to. However, it is possible that he could succeed in drowning her if he gets a bit too ambitious so just keep an eye on him. If it looks like he's not letting up on the female, you may have to intervene.

Good luck and your babies are beautiful. I envy you a little, knowing you will have pure Muscovy ducklings if you allow hatching of the eggs.

I have only a female Muscovy with a Silver Appleyard male so all my babies will be hinnies and sterile.

*Edited to remove redundant word

 

[Lol123]

Yes, you most definitely have a male that is in the background of the picture. When ducks mate, the male will grab the feathers on the back of the females head in order to hold onto her while he is mounted. Yes, it is normal for mating to look like he is drowning the female but he is not trying to. However, it is possible that he could succeed in drowning her if he gets a bit too ambitious so just keep an eye on him. If it looks like he's not letting up on the female, you may have to intervene.

Good luck and your babies are beautiful. I envy you a little, knowing you will have pure Muscovy ducklings if you allow hatching of the eggs.

I have only a female Muscovy with a male Silver Appleyard male so all my babies will be hinnies and sterile.

Thank you for a reply, Would getting another hen be better? Bit gutted as i payed alot for them to have females as i wasn't sure how drakes and cockerels do together, will have to get in touch with the breeder. Thank you, they are beautiful

 

[ProudRedneck]

Yes, if you can accommodate more ducks in general, absolutely get 2-3 more females. If that's too much for you then I would just suggest watching to see how they interact and if he gets to be too much then you may have to get rid of him, or her. You may find that he is actually being "gentle" in ducky terms and there's nothing to worry about. You'll know if he becomes too much for the female if, the female starts getting a bald spot on the back of her head. Then it's time to separate them or get more females for him to choose from.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'd like to see this Muscovy standing on the ground facing you. So we can see how her legs are under her/him. Females act just like drakes when they playmate. I'm not convinced this is a drake. They look the same size are they? body shape same? Drakes are much larger than females after age 6-10 weeks.

 

[ProudRedneck]

I agree with @Miss Lydia more pictures from different angles are always helpful. Using the photos you provided, I have based my answer on the size comparison of legs to each other and also the one in the back has more pronounced caruncles when zooming in on the photo.

 

[Lol123]

I'd like to see this Muscovy standing on the ground facing you. So we can see how her legs are under her/him. Females act just like drakes when they playmate. I'm not convinced this is a drake. They look the same size are they? body shape same? Drakes are much larger than females after age 6-10 weeks.

It is slightly larger yes, but it seems its still growing as its only started getting the lumps on its face recently, i contacted the breeder and hes not convinced its a male just yet

 

[Miss Lydia]

The one doesn’t have the feminine face like the other by one. When they walk compared gait females look like they are going to step on their own feet when walking drakes legs are set farther apart don’t don’t do this.

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

It is slightly larger yes, but it seems its still growing as its only started getting the lumps on its face recently, i contacted the breeder and hes not convinced its a male just yet

What sounds do they make? At that age, females should be having long conversations with each other making sweet trilling sounds with squeaks if upset or broody. Males start to hiss at some point. Females do not.

Edited to add: whatever sex they are, they are absolutely gorgeous!

 

[Quatie]

It really does look like they should be both hens. Or a really small drake. This is the best photo I have for size comparison. The Drake in the back is clearly bigger than hen. She is also older than this drake. My drakes are bigger than my adult females too and they are not full grown.

I also agree with @Daphne_loves_mealworms. What sounds are they making?