Sexing white mandarin ducklings

[SuperPeacockman]

Is there a way to sex white Mandarin chicks, the guy I mentioned on craigslist has some 4wk old white ducklings available and I was wondering if the was a way to sex them. Also is 35$ a piece reasonable and he says they do not need heat anymore, are 4wk old ducklings mature enough to go without a lamp?

 

[chickenlisa]

I was told vent sexing or DNA testing was the only sure way to sex them before they feather out. Maybe you can tell by beak color too...the males should have pinker/redder bills and maybe do by 4 weeks old (more than my 2 week old reg colored ones do.)
Also, I was told they need heat til they are about 6 weeks old and fully feathered out (not flight feathers) before going out in the pen overnight.
Hope that helps. I think the price sounds great...Everywhere I've seen them has white pairs much higher than reg colored pairs. (like $150/pair! Yikes!)
Good Luck!

 

[KansasKid]

Gonna be kinda hard to tell bill color on whites considering both are pink. but might be a difference at the young age, something BBB or one of the experienced people are going to have to answer.

 

[waterdog]

The whites are really hard to sex until they start coloring out other than vent sexing as they are almost identical until the drakes start getting color. At four weeks they shouldn't need much for heat if they have some shelter and it is not below 55 at night. The price is right they run between 125-150.00 a pair.

 

[SuperPeacockman]

Can you sex the way that is shown on the Metzer Farms video?

 

[KansasKid]

Thats what vent sexing is. you hold the duckling upside down, bend its tail at a 90˚ angle, take two fingers and spread, do not just push down!!, but spread the vent open. sometimes gently pushing down is required but you have to be careful that you don't push to hard and hurt it.

 

[SuperPeacockman]

Will it work for 5 or 6 wk old ducks?

 

[philter4]

It works on day old birds, that is how they sex the day old chicks for sale at the feed stores.

 

[KansasKid]

You can sex them this way at any age but is best done as day olds.