Sexing Ducklings (Please check here first :D )

[Wifezilla]

There was a transition on my ducks. If the duck peeps happily along and then makes a weird loud noise, it is usually a girl. They end up with a very wide vocal range. Boys seem to just get gradually quieter and more monotone.

 

[MDC]

Ducklets quack early whereas drakelets rasp late. So if you're just beginning to hear any differences from their duckling peep then it is probably a ducklet because drakelets peep longer - when ducklets have an obvious quack, drakelets generally will still sound like babies.

 

[Duck Keeper]

Going purely by voice, the three Appleyard-cross ducklings I kept should be female. WHOO!

Not sure about the two pure Appleyards, but I think one's a girl too... I'm assuming one has to be a boy!


I've heard that muscovy drakes get much larger than their female counterparts, but I don't have any experience, so your guess is as good as mine.

 

[littlehenny]

On the welsh harlequins, is the bill color and the dark spot used to tell the sex, when they are just a few days old?? My 3 still all have a dark spot on the end of the bill, and they are all 3 very loud and noisy! At first I thought I just had one female, for some reason because her head is lighter I guess, and I think she is quacking LOUD, at least that is what it sounds like to me. Is there anyway I can be sure of the sex? Oh and they are 7 weeks old. Hubby says if I have 2 drakes I will have to get rid of one of them

I told him that would be like choosing between my kids

 

[Yoko Kato]

I found out over the past weekend that 3 out of 5 Mallards may be drakes! I was sooooo shocked! They were sold as hens at TSC. 2 are obviously drakes, and the other one seems to be going thru molting---noticed a few gray feathers, but no curl. Now I am very excited about having ducklings in the Spring. I hope they can still all get along.

 

[HenPen]

Thanks for posting this!

 

[FenDruadin]

How early is it possible for the ducklets to begin making quacky sounds? I have never been able to tell before about four weeks, but our first hatched duckling started making funny sounds about two days ago, and I'm wondering if she's already beginning to quack (if she's a she). She will be 2 weeks old on Sunday, so it seems VERY early to me. The sound is sort of like a honk--when I first heard it, I thought something was wrong, like a respiratory problem or something--but she shows no sign of illness--very bright eyed and active--and has been occasionally making that sound for two days now.

This batch (which is only two ducks now, alas--we lost the third duck) seems to be maturing faster than ducks I've ordered. Is it normal for home-hatched ducks to mature faster than mail order? Maybe thanks to the lack of stress and the early feeding? The one making the funny noises especially seems very large, and neither of the two use the brood light at all any more--they stopped after only a few days out of the shell.

Thanks!

P.S. Added to say: For goodness sake. Who asks a question without listening to the OP first? I do of course. Sorry. I just realized this question has already been answered, in the original post to which I'm responding. So just ignore me. It's what all my friends do.

 

[L0rraine]

My runner drake has a bit of a 'goosie' honk and it's almost as loud as the ducks' quacks. He's also more verbal than one might expect, but maybe that's because he 'thinks' he's in charge and needs to always be telling everyone whether it's time to forage, or swim, or preen, or rest, or 'run and hide!'.

 

[Cottage Rose]

Great info!
I recently read you shouldn't turn them upside down to vent check, that they should be right side up in your lap, head tucked under you arm and butt out.
(Obviously this is for older ducks/geese).
Then you push their tail back
and check the vent as described but with this method you would need one to hold and one to check.
This person also stated that a females vent will look more puckery but she was referring to geese.
Anybody noticed the puckery factor when vent checking?

 

[nettie]

not sure if this could be added- but in blue swedish ducklings (particularlly the black swedish ducklings, but not so much in silver/splash ones), if there is orange in the feet or bills, it's usually a sign it's a male. All black feet/bills usually means it's female.