Sexing Runner ducks

[Lazys]

I have ten straight run runner ducks coming in a week. How long before I will be able to tell what sexes they are? and how can I tell. I am hoping for more girls but my luck they will be mostly boys....

 

[Amiga]

Watering station - keeps bedding dry

 

[Effalumps]

You could vent sex them while they are young. I'm still pretty new at it, but it isn't rocket science. If it is a boy, you will know for sure. If it looks like a girl, then you might have just not done it right...

This is a pretty good video:

Goes this hurt them at all

 

[Miss Lydia]

Unless experienced yes you can injure one. Go by quack females quack loudly drakes sound raspy like they have a cold in their nose.

 

[Scatterknit]

Bumping this - anyone know?

 

[Amiga]

My runners had their first quack at about three weeks. It took several more weeks for everyone to get their quack.

 

[Going Quackers]

Generally speaking most mallard derived ducks by 4-5wks you can start to hear differences, over time as you become more accustomed to the noises you may pick it up sooner.

Drakes almost sound hoarse, appear to be loosing voice whereas females are your typical full on quack that most think of when asked a ducks sound.

GL!

 

[littlefrog]

You could vent sex them while they are young. I'm still pretty new at it, but it isn't rocket science. If it is a boy, you will know for sure. If it looks like a girl, then you might have just not done it right...

This is a pretty good video:

 

[Lazys]

I am going to bump this up, my runners are now 6 weeks and really big and feathered out. how long before they get the drake feathers? I don't hear quacks but more mumbles. I am so worried that they are all drakes....

also I am wondering if I need to have a pan of water for them all the time? I have the nipple waterers and they use them (they found a way to play with them too). I have a pan of water because I know they need to be able to scoop water too, but man do they make a mess in the chicken house. I am wondering if I can put a short pool outside since I am going to start letting them out in a week or so and then when I shut them up at night with the chickens they can just use the nipple waterers.

Sorry for so many questions, but I want to do it right.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I am going to bump this up, my runners are now 6 weeks and really big and feathered out. how long before they get the drake feathers? I don't hear quacks but more mumbles. I am so worried that they are all drakes....

also I am wondering if I need to have a pan of water for them all the time? I have the nipple waterers and they use them (they found a way to play with them too). I have a pan of water because I know they need to be able to scoop water too, but man do they make a mess in the chicken house. I am wondering if I can put a short pool outside since I am going to start letting them out in a week or so and then when I shut them up at night with the chickens they can just use the nipple waterers.

Sorry for so many questions, but I want to do it right.

Give them head dunking water outside I use 1 gal buckets a pool would be good, they are way to messy to have anything other than the nipple waterers inside. I don't put any water at all inside my houses even my chicken coop my ducks will find it. lol as for sexing, pics would be good. and Welcome to BYC.