No quack, no curly feather, fully feathered. Drake?

[igorsMistress]

Hey all, I have a duck that is fully feathered out, but it doesn’t quack. It makes trilling sounds, but doesn’t have a curly tail. I don’t know the age, but it’s young. Is this a good indicator that it’s probably a male and just hasn’t grown the curl yet?

It’s an Ancona/Runner/Blue Swedish mix if that helps.

 

[KathiQuacks]

No quack and fully feathered is almost certainly a drake, yes. The curl first comes in around 13 weeks old and isn’t present during a drake’s eclipse plumage.

A video would help confirm, though. I’m not quite sure what you mean by a trilling sound.

 

[igorsMistress]

No quack and fully feathered is almost certainly a drake, yes. The curl first comes in around 13 weeks old and isn’t present during a drake’s eclipse plumage.

A video would help confirm, though. I’m not quite sure what you mean by a trilling sound.

I was thinking this is the case. I did have a female who was a woman of few words, thought she was a drake until she laid an egg.

The trilling is not like baby peeps, it’s almost musical. I tried to get a video but the girls come quacking and the chickens get to clucking and it’s impossible to hear it. The gray/white/black duck is the one in question

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sure are pretty

 

[igorsMistress]

Sure are pretty

Thank you! I have a Fawn and white Runner girl too. I hope this little dude can mate with the girls, he’s got short legs

 

[KathiQuacks]

I was thinking this is the case. I did have a female who was a woman of few words, thought she was a drake until she laid an egg.

The trilling is not like baby peeps, it’s almost musical. I tried to get a video but the girls come quacking and the chickens get to clucking and it’s impossible to hear it. The gray/white/black duck is the one in question
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You could separate ‘em briefly to get the video. They tend to talk more when separated, too

Though, that bill color alone makes me believe he’s male even more. So gorgeous!!!

Thank you! I have a Fawn and white Runner girl too. I hope this little dude can mate with the girls, he’s got short legs

That’s what I thought with my donkeys.. My Jack is so short, I figured there was no way. 2 foals later..He’ll find a way!

 

[igorsMistress]

You could separate ‘em briefly to get the video. They tend to talk more when separated, too

Though, that bill color alone makes me believe he’s male even more. So gorgeous!!!

That’s what I thought with my donkeys.. My Jack is so short, I figured there was no way. 2 foals later..He’ll find a way!

Thank you! I’ve only had them about a week so can’t get close to separate yet. He’s the shyest of them all too. The last time a human got anywhere near they were captured and moved here.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you! I have a Fawn and white Runner girl too. I hope this little dude can mate with the girls, he’s got short legs

Short legs mean nothing to a drake.

 

[Rouen Mom]

Does it sound like a whistle? If so it's probably a male

 

[igorsMistress]

Does it sound like a whistle? If so it's probably a male

More like “moip moip moip “ and very quiet.

However, I think I heard legitimate quacks this afternoon when I took ice out. The duck in question was off to the side of me while the others were right under foot and I think I heard quacks from that direction. Maybe it’s just shy and is now getting comfortable, it’s still a very young duck and doesn’t lay yet if it’s female.