sexing ducklings by behavior(freakishly long)

[Ducklove334]

has anyone had success in accurately sexing a duckling, before it's old enough to quack or have it's drake voice, by behavior?

I've done this twice so far, and been accurate both times, mind you this was each with a small number of duckings,

when 7 week old Jingo and her 3 siblings hatched

I hadn't "planned" on keeping any of them, infact I wanted to sell them as day-olds and posted them on craigslist right after they hatched, but two little ducklings stole my heart right from the word go.

Jingo, and the smallest of the two pure mallards, Lil' Bit, both were always much friendlier than Harley or Bruce

(Jingo and Lil'bit on in front, Bruce and Harley are behind them)

has anyone noticed that when something flies over head, all and I mean ALL the drakes will look up and start a "warning" quack, at all together?, until the "threat" has passed.

at two days old, I took the four ducklings out to play in the grass, a vulture was flying over, and all four plastered themselves to the ground, to my surprise, Bruce and Harley started peeping in the same rytheme that the adult drakes do, Jingo and Lil' Bit, did not.

when the "threat" passed, they went back to normal, about an hour later, another vulture was passing through, again, they ducklings threw themselves on the ground, Bruce and Harley started up the "warning" peep, Jingo and Lil' Bit did not.

Bruce and harley went to new homes at about 3 weeks old, their new "mommies" have confirmed now that they are both, indeed drakes and plan to get them some girls soon

Lil' Bit dissapeared one day about 3 days later, I never did find it, but Jingo is now a happy healthy 7 week old loud mouthy girl who deffenatly has that call duck talky-ness LOL.


fast forward to when Mouse hatched out her single baby, I watched it for the same signs, when ever something would fly over, the drakes would start up their chorus, the hens would stay still and quiet, and so would the baby.

now at about a month old, it's starting to get a female quack.

I plan to attempt to sex babies like this in the future, and hope that I'm just as accurate as i have been.

 

[Dances with Ducks]

That is interesting, you may be on to something! The difference in behavior I noticed when my runners were small was that the female was a lot more nervous and would quack louder and longer when we picked her up. She also was remarkably better at that diving like a fish thing ducklings do. With only three ducklings at the time it's hard to know if that was coincidence.

 

[Sweetfolly]

I've been attempting to do something like this with my 6 week old mallards, Rainstorm and Lullaby. Rainstorm is definately a drake (two curly little feathers popped up about a week ago) - and he's much more calm when I pick him up than Lullaby.

I'm torn as to Lullaby's sex (but I'll refer to Lullaby as "she" or "her" for right now). Her bill is darker than Rainstorm's - his is yellow at the edges and olive green on top. Her's is olive green with a definite reddish-orange tinge underneath, but yellow at the edges too. Her tail feathers came in a little crooked, but there isn't an obvious little drake feather yet, and, although I've heard that the plumage of a juvenile mallard hen will be slightly lighter with better-defined lacing than on a drake, I can't see a difference (except that Lullaby's eyestripe is all screwed up and crooked by her bad eye - the one that's not visible in the picture because she never uses it).

Rainstorm is calmer when I pick him up - he gets very quiet and hangs his head to look at Lullaby - who freaks out and starts peeping her head off for him. When I pick Lullaby up, she squirms and wiggles, while Rainstorm looks quietly up at her. Lullaby has always been much smaller than Rainstorm, but I think that's because she was developmentally stunted, not because she's a she.

They both still peep, but Rainstom actually makes a wider variety of sounds than Lullaby - although Lullaby is the only one who makes this adorable "Chirrr-IRP" that almost sounds like a dog-whistle.

So - I have no idea what all of that means, but I'm hoping that Lullaby's a girl! Lullaby is such a wimpy name for a drake!