Newbie to Ducks- Male or Female?

[AQHARednecks]

I picked up 4 Khacki Campbell ducklings yesterday. They told me there was no way to tell make from female, but online there seems to be different thoughts on ways to do this.

One thing I read said dark bills and colors are females light are male- If that is the case I have 1 that is MUCH lighter then the rest.

Second thing I read said that if they have a ring around their neck then they are male- If this one is true then I have 3 with rings on their necks- but only one is light- the others are all dark.

Third thing I read was voices- right now they are still peeping- I haven't heard anything that sounds "ducky" at all yet.

These little ones are a week old. Are either of the first two ways true? If so and I have 3 males to 1 female then I better go grab some more girls!

 

[ChickenToes]

I can't say if either of those are true. Hopefully someone else will chime in who knows the answer!

When they get older, probably around 7 or 8 weeks the females start quacking. Then you'll know for sure!

 

[chicken boy sam]

I don't know either.

 

[gryeyes]

I'm afraid you may have to wait a few weeks for their voices to come in....

 

[Sunny Side Up]

At one week old you could vent sex them. Research the method, you hold the duckling and gently invert their vent. You can see the boys' little penises, they look like a grain of rice. Some folks think this is too harsh on the duckling, especially if you don't know what you're doing. But with care you can learn how to do this.

Otherwise just keep watching & listening. If it's not essential to know their sexes right now, if it's just out of curiosity, you can afford to wait. The others are right, at around 7-8 weeks their voices change so that the girls make definite quacks and the boys have a more breathy rasping call. Boy Khakis will develop orange legs and greenish-brown bills, the girls' legs & bills are brown. This usually shows up around 9-10 weeks or so. Then the boys will develop darker heads & necks, the girls stay all one color.

More important than knowing their sexes is trying to befriend them at this age. Khakis may never be the friendliest ducks, but you can try to accustom them to your presence, get them to tolerate handling, train them to expect good treats when they see you. Mine love thawed frozen peas. They're learning to come when I call "PEE-ees!" and some will come very close to my hand.

 

[blondiebee181]

Yeah I am wondering about my duck myself, I'm swearing left and right that it's a "she" because I want eggs so badly. "She" is, I believe, a white campbell and about 6 weeks old...so in another week or so she will hopefully quack...pretty loud? And....when do drake curls appear anyway? "She" already has most of her adult feathers so would I have seen one by now or not?

 

[blondiebee181]

Anyone? Anyone?

 

[wildpeas]

My khaki girls were quacking at 4 weeks. Pick her up suddenly and see if you can get a quack out of her.

If I remember correctly drakes dont get tail curls for months.

 

[Baylor]

I could hear a change in all my females around 3-4 weeks but the full blown quacks werent until 6+ weeks.

 

[blondiebee181]

Okay yeah I think I remember hearing curls don't come for a while too

She does quack, I wouldn't say really loudly...she is 7 weeks today. She does make quite a bit of noise when I walk outside or come to offer treats and that sort of thing but I wouldn't say it's really loud...I guess I'm not super clear on whats loud feminine quacking and what's not. Are drakes mostly pretty mute?