New Mallard Mom.

[Star78]

I have a juvenile mallard, I bought as a baby about 8 wks ago. I have no idea the sex either. I consider him a boy & have named him Lloyd. I only have the one mallard & he stays inside the house a lot of the time, except when we go into the yard together, so he can swim in his pool. I guess what I'm wanting to know is how will I know if he really is a boy & if I'm taking care of him properly?

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC. While some members do keep single ducks / chickens - they are social animals and benefit from company of their own kind. You could post a photo of your duck on the "Duck" forum where the duck experts will help you out with gender.

Best wishes

CT

 

[Star78]

I actually did post on the duck forum also & have gotten some help. I didn't know it wasn't good to only have 1 duck. He's a pet though & gets tons of attention. He's actually pretty spoiled & one of the best pets I've ever had.

 

[Ravynscroft]

At 8 weeks you should be able to tell gender by the voice... males have a quieter, raspy whaaap-whaaap-whaaap while females quack rather loudly...

This should help...

http://www.majesticwaterfowl.org/artquacks.htm

ETA: and you should come over to the house duck thread... lots of wonderful duck people there to help out...


https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/632070/show-off-your-house-ducks

 

[drumstick diva]

YES do visit the "show us your house ducks," thread there is also a "people with house chickens," thread. I have even read of house geese.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[Star78]

I don't really know which one it is, to be honest, cuz he makes both sounds & even sounds like a goose sometimes. He might actually be older than 8 wks, cuz I've had him for 2 months & I picked one of the larger ducklings out of all of them. I got him a week before Easter. I'm going to love him regardless of his actual sex, just be weird calling him Lloyd if he's a girl. LOL.

 

[Ravynscroft]

I don't really know which one it is, to be honest, cuz he makes both sounds & even sounds like a goose sometimes. He might actually be older than 8 wks, cuz I've had him for 2 months & I picked one of the larger ducklings out of all of them. I got him a week before Easter. I'm going to love him regardless of his actual sex, just be weird calling him Lloyd if he's a girl. LOL.

If Lloyd all out does strings of quacks though, then Lloyd is a girl... they will make other sounds as well, it's just the girls that flat out quack like that, boys cannot...

 

[Star78]

The only time he really gets loud is if he's lost me & can't see me. The rest the time it's just peeps & chatter noises. And kinda chicken sounding too @ times. He's kinda onry & gets snippy. He chases my cat & small dogs. They know to run from him though & get where he can't reach them. From what I've been told so far, I think he is a she. Do females need different care, than males?

 

[Star78]

RavynFallen I did listen to the duck calls again & yes Lloyd sounds like a girl. Makes the same noises as the hens in the thing u sent me, but also makes same sounds as the males too. Is it possible to have a females make noises like the males too? Lloyd is pretty verbal, all sounds loud & quiet ones.