Sexing a duckling, kinda urgent. Help?

[Omniskies]

Sexing is more difficult in ducklings than in adults if you're starting out, but it can be done. Just be gentle and give the ducklings breaks inbetween attempts. You'll _know_ you have a little boy.

When sexing, flip him over onto his back and use your middle finger and ring finger to hold the tail at an angle away from you. Using your two thumbs and two pointer fingers, massage the base of the vent and pull it open and out. If you have a male duckling, you'll see a thin red worm pop out.

You'll end up with your 100% guaranteed males and "Did I do it right?" females. The more often you do it the more confidant you'll be that your females really are females.

Good luck with it

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Oh, I need to try that with my cayuga babies!! They are about 3 weeks old and no one is quacking yet!! I sure hope they aren't ALL boys!

 

[nettie]

My pekin was technically ordered, he was a hatchery choice duckling, so it was unsexed from the start.

I've designed my coop/run so that the same base can be reconfigured for a seperate male (I'll try scanning the design later), BUT if it's a male it changes many things. I'd have to build not only the seperate compartment for his sleeping space, but i'd also have to build a seperate door to get him in and out of the coop, and a seperate door for him to get to the run, and build a seperater for the run itself.

So i can buy all the materials without changing the design too much. But i can not put it together until i know for sure if i have a boy. My problem is, after my surgery i won't be able to do a thing except sit around and take it easy (it involves cutting some internal organs so i won't be recovering quickly). I'm not supposed to do any heavy lifting or activity for 5-6 weeks, by then they will all be full grown and will have no where to sleep! lol. My current sleeper pen in just big enough for two ducks. I was only planning on getting another female, so building a new pen would be easy. But now that i got 4 ducks, one of whom may be a drake, i had to redesign it and make it bigger. I wanted to make sure there is 10 square feet for each duck. (Plus, this whole contraption is inside my art studio, since i live in a townhouse complex, my ducks have to stay inside over night or i could have noise problems)

see my predicament? lol.

I had everything all planned out, then my F had to go and fall in love with a pekin! I'm blaming him. If he was even remotely creative i'd make him do it, but he's knows absolutly nothing about building. lol. I had to explain to him that you have to predrill holes and that 1x6 lumber is actually only 3/4in think. lol... He's a lawyer, he can do complex math equations in his head quickly, but ask him to do anything that is remotely right brained and your out of luck. lol.

I'm really hoping that i hear some quacks soon. The best outcome is four females, just cause then they get the most space and we don't have to take too many special precautions.

 

[Omniskies]

I guess that's where I'm getting all confused. Why do you need a separate compartment if you have a male? Why can't he mingle with the ladies?

 

[nettie]

my ducks are not like outside animals that make me eggs. They are imprinted on humans and live a luxurios life mostly inside. they think they are people and get very upset if they are not treated that way. Plus, they are really small compared to a giant pekin, who could hurt them when trying to mount them, esp my litle tiny snowy mallard. I want to kep them seperate at night when i'm not watching them to make sure no one gets hurt. So if Peter is in fact a boy, he'll need to be seperated at night. (the pen i'm making is just for night time quarters in my art studio... they have a day pen in my back yard and in my sunroom, which can be easily monitored and seperated if need be.)

 

[Omniskies]

That makes more sense. Thanks for explaining

Your best bet then would be to get the little guy vent sexed. We've tried to sex ducklings by voice at a few days old without much luck. It's always worth a shot, but I wouldn't put too much stock into it.

We had 22 ducklings the hatchery shipped out by mistake and noticed that some had a raspy cheep and some had a clear cheep. We marked the ones we thought might have a raspy sound and I don't think we had much of a success rate when they grew up.

 

[nettie]

does anyone remotely near alabama vent sex? I could drive to see someone and i'd pay for their service... there arn't any hatcheries (ones online at least) near here, so i don't think that's an option...

Does anyone know anyone who can vent sex anywhere remotely near alabama? My little guy is a week and a half old today...

 

[nettie]

ugh, as i try to work our this design, i very much so wishing it is a girl, it'd be such a nice design if peter is a petra, lol.

Again, if anyone knows any one in alabama who can sex, or if yiou think you might know somwone, please let me know!

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

Would he really be sexually aggressive at 2 or 3 months old? My goose (not the same thing I know, but the only waterfowl male i own) didn't start trying to mount my ducks until he was at least 9 months...

 

[nettie]

I just want to get it figured out before everone is big. Currently my sleeper pen is only big enough for the two runners. One snowy mallard could have snuch in there while i made a bigger one at my leisure, but there is definitely not enough room for four ducks, esp a big pekin... no way. So they need a new sleeper before i go for surgery, and i don't know which design to use until i know whether peter is a boy or a girl.

Despite all the options, i believe for my situation, knowing peter's sex asap is the best one. Can anyone vent sex?