Videos - who’s a boy and who’s a girl?

[threelittleduckies]

Hiya I was pretty sure I had 2 girls (Donald and Nugget) and a boy (Skittle) but I’m not sure about Nugget anymore.

Nugget is the brown mallard coloured one. I assumed becuse of her colouring and because she did honk when she was younger her that she was a girl but her voice seems to be changing. You may also notice she struggles a little with breathing (she’s been to the vet and is on medication). Could that be why she’s quieter? Donald is REALLY loud by comparison.

I’m really worried now I’ve got 2 drakes! I’ve put 3 videos on youtube:

Nugget, Donald and Skittle

Thank you!

 

[ibarbidahl]

Donald is your girl.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Donal is your girl for sure ! What precious Runners

 

[threelittleduckies]

Donal is your girl for sure ! What precious Runners❤

Thank you. I love them so much!
I thought brown mallards were the girl version, and the boy version was green headed? What do I do if they are both boys? I’m not sure I can keep more ducks in the space I have ....

 

[cheezenkwackers]

All “mallard” colored ducks look similar to girls when the first get their big feathers. Then the boys heads turn dark (green) and they get the male breeding plumage you are used to seeing. After the breeding season, males will get a third pattern called Eclipse plumage which is somewhere in the middle.

As for having two drakes, not a good idea. Even though everyone gets along now, everything will change come spring when their hormones rage. I tried it (with four females) and am sorry I did. Ultimately it cost me one of my girls.

 

[threelittleduckies]

All “mallard” colored ducks look similar to girls when the first get their big feathers. Then the boys heads turn dark (green) and they get the male breeding plumage you are used to seeing. After the breeding season, males will get a third pattern called Eclipse plumage which is somewhere in the middle.

As for having two drakes, not a good idea. Even though everyone gets along now, everything will change come spring when their hormones rage. I tried it (with four females) and am sorry I did. Ultimately it cost me one of my girls.

Oh no! That’s really sad did you have 2 males and 4 females? So how many females would I have to get to even it out?

 

[cheezenkwackers]

I have heard 4-5 females per male but I currently have one drake and five hens and my drake has his two favorites who he is gentle with and basically rapes the other three. They end up with bloody necks and limping if I leave him alone with them. So, he spends spring through July, when his hormones go back down, locked up alone with only a few supervised minutes with the girls. You have time to figure out what you are going to do.

 

[threelittleduckies]

This really worries me now, I left it to chance that I would have 2 or even 3 females. I’m now realising that maybe I shouldn’t have...
So ... even if I got 2 extra females, would having 2 drakes still not work...?

Can 2 drakes be kept separate together or will they fight?

 

[cheezenkwackers]

It’s hard to say. My drakes fought early on but then they got along great. I think they just both wanted to be top duck. Yours are being raised together so I would expect that they would get along better.

 

[ibarbidahl]

Yes. I keep a drake pen and the girls pen. I also am a fan of supervised visitation.