Rouen Duck thread

[housewife]

Does anyone know when the Rouen ducks changes color, so you will know if they are male or females? Mine are 10 weeks old and they are still brown with some white in the wings.

 

[Debs Flock]

Does anyone know when the Rouen ducks changes color, so you will know if they are male or females? Mine are 10 weeks old and they are still brown with some white in the wings.

I'm not sure when that happens since I ended up with 2 females. I think the easiest way to determine sex is by their voice. My girls have a definite quack. My boy sounds hoarse all the time...kinda like he swallowed a cricket.

You can also watch for the drake feather. I think my boy's showed up at 11 weeks or so. It's one feather near his tail that curls forward.

 

[housewife]

Ty@Debs Flock for your help. Right now my Rouen ducks are all the same age. Some quacks and some chirps. They are 10 weeks old. So far they all look the same.

 

[housewife]

10 weeks old

10 weeks old

10 weeks old

10 weeks old

10 weeks old

10 weeks old

10 weeks old

10 weeks old

10 weeks old

These Rouens are about 7 weeks old. Can anyone tell from these pics is any are male or female. Right now some quack and some chirp.

 

[OldMissionChick]

@housewife I am a new duck mom so not very experienced. But our girls have darker bills and our drake has more of a yellow bill.

 

[Ceil]

Thanks for the info, about the time I think one is darker than the others then they both look the same. one is starting to get the grey/ white feather tips. At what age are they fully grown?

 

[OldMissionChick]

Ours were 4 months when they started laying. And our drake got has feather at about 3 months.

 

[housewife]

ty. That helps a lot. I noticed some have dark bills and some are yellow.

 

[DuckVenture]

Hello Rouen Duck Lovers,

We have enjoyed our little backyard flock of Rouen Ducks now for over one and a half years! We have one drake (Caspian), and, until just recently, three beautiful females (Ilana, Beatrice, and Ginger). This summer two of our girls were taken by predators. We are heartbroken and are at a crossroads: Should we rehome Caspian and his last female? OR Should we consider bringing in two new females and rebuild our little flock? Our biggest concern is that, if we don't get our ducks in before sunset, they are at high risk these days. We believe one of our females was taken by an owl, the other had her head chewed off by what we believe was a weasel. Until late this summer, we always felt our ducks were generally safe from predators as long as we got them in their duck house some time in the evening. Our ducks, even as juveniles, were not harmed in our backyard by any predator (even after dark) in well over a year. However, this year has been a tough year for critters infiltrating our yard. We even had a rat snake enjoying their eggs for a time until we captured and relocated it many miles away.

I post this request in search of advice. We truly love our ducks and have benefited from their healthy eggs! They are more like pets than poultry to us. However, our family cannot always get home before darkness creeps in and are scratching our heads on how to fully protect them when we are not home. Even if they walk up the ramp and into their duck house, the door would still be open until we can make it home to shut it. We are starting to think it would be best to rehome them, but it would be a very difficult decision for us.

Has anyone had a similar experience? AND Can anyone recommend a solution?

Thanks for any help you can send our way!

DuckVenture

 

[Amiga]

Sometimes I am tempted to feel I am not the best duck mom because when I am not nearby, the ducks are kept in the Day Pen - close to 200 square feet, fenced top, bottom and sides. Fourteen small ducks.

Then I look at my littles. They are content. They are healthy, and as safe as I can make them. So I don't feel like they are missing out by being kept safe when I cannot be right there with them. When I am right near, we walk in the woods together, they hang out in their own little garden (with mature perennials they cannot destroy).