Want to know if my Pekins are Drakes or hens

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Northern-MI-Neighborhood

In the Brooder
Sep 2, 2024
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I want to know if my Pekins are Drakes, hens,
or one drake and one hen. I have photos and videos in my album titled "My Pekin Ducks". The videos of them in the yard is a week or two old....so in that video, they haven't started making quacks yet along with their "Peep, Peep, Peeps".

I've heard that sometimes they don't get their drake feathers until they're 2-3 months old.

However, one of the pekins looks like it's back feathers are pointing up a little bit. Their quack/peeps sound like quacks to me from a hen...rather than the raspy noise quacks that I've heard and seen clips of.

Right now, when I pet them and give them rubs on their back near their butt, both of them will wiggle their tails....but one seems to not like it very much at all, while the other one seems to like it.

They can't go being apart from each other. If one is picked up just to inspect its feet or for whatever reason, they both freek out (the one that's picked up respectfully moreso...).

I have attached photos (and hopefully the videos went through, also). If the videos didn't attach, I have an album titled "My Pekin Ducks" where I uploaded them to.

Pekins_in_yard004.mp4

Pekin ducks



Pekins_in_yard003.mp4

Pekin ducks



Pekins_in_coop_at_night.mp4




Pekins_in_yard002.mp4

Pekins in front yard. Don't know at this point if they are drakes or hens.



Pekins_in_yard001.mp4

Pekins in front yard



Pekins_in_call_duck_pen.mp4

Pekin ducklings in raised call duck breeding pen



Pekins007.jpg

Pekins007.jpg




Pekins 008.jpg

Pekins 008.jpg




Pekins003.jpg

Pekins003.jpg

Under chicken coop


Pekins005.jpg

Pekins005.jpg


Pekins 009.jpg

Pekins 009.jpg




Pekins_in_brooder.mp4

 
Here are some videos from my Coop Cam. I didn't upload them in order...but you can see their tail feathers and hear their quacks In most of the videos. Hopefully the audio is clear enough to determine if they are Drakes or hens.

1748502849607_0.mp4

Coop cap 01

1748502864634_0.mp4

Coop cam 02

1748503036131_0.mp4

Coop cam 03

1748503060904_0.mp4

Coop cam 04

1748503068475_0.mp4

Coop cam 05

1748503202287_0.mp4

Coop cam 06

1748503153013_0.mp4

Coop cam 07
 
Welcome to BYC!

Your ducklings are cute but too young to sex

Once they are fully feathered, at 6-8 weekd old, you should begin to hear their juvenile voices. Drakes do not get drake feathers until 12 - 16 weeks

I raised 2 jumbo pekin ducklings this spring. I had my suspicions about their sex when they were 6 weeks, but could not br certain until they were nearly 8 weeks. They are both drakes. No signs of drake feathers yet -- they are 10 weeks old.

Be patient, you will know the sex of yours soon!
 
These pekins are my moms, but I'm raising them until they're feathered out so they don't get eaten in the country. These pekins are about 4-6 weeks old. I forgot when I got them, exactly. What I do know is that every day they look (and definitely FEEL) 1/2lb bigger! I had no idea they could get that much bigger so fast!! They doubled in size in about 1.5 weeks time! Now, it seems like they are more fat then muscle.

They aren't having any walking issues. While they were getting duck feed in bowls, them and the chickens would gobble it down by the time the day was half over. The rest of the day, they would lay by the chicken feeder (a 5 gallon bucket with 3 ports) and they would have their bill in the feeder about 50% of the time. Then they would take breaks after an hour to do the same for the chickens water..... despite them having their own water.

Because they started getting so fat and big so quick, I started adding a BUNCH of waterfowl vitamins (HIGH in niacin) to the chicken water...then the chicken food, since they got too lazy to walk to their food by the water tub and just wanted to eat the chicken food.

Now, as of yesterday, I have taken the chicken food and put it on top of the small chicken coop. They can all fly up there to eat - except my silkie rooster....he's too stupid. I gave him his own tiny little feeder inside his coop. I don't have vermin problems and it's very dry in there. If he could fly about 18 inches up, he could access the 5 gallon chicken feeder.

So now, they'll have lots of niacin in their bus-tub water (which I throw a bunch of dandelion greens in daily...along with Metzer farm waterfowl vitamins) AND mixing into the chicken water. But now, for food.... they'll have to wait until I bring their food dish out to them. While they aren't at risk of niacin deficiency, I feel it's the only way to reduce the risk of them getting to fat and lazy to the point which they start having trouble walking and leg issues from the weight and lack of exercise, alone!!

When they were 3-4 weeks old, me and the kids would walk them around the block 2x per day. But now, they don't even want to walk out the gate of the chicken run! I have to goose them into going out into the yard!!

I was thinking about fencing in my side yard with 2ft chicken wire fence. It is about 60ftx 80ft, but I don't have to fence in the whole thing. I want them to gain some muscle under all their fat before they completely feather out
That way, they can avoid becoming a snack for predators when they go to my mom's. I have to lock them in their coop at night currently (which is just a big Rubbermaid tote on its side with 2 pieces of plywood in front of it to keep them in and any vermin out).

Has anybody had this issue with their pekins with them getting too fat and lazy at 5-6 weeks old? Am I doing the right thing by limiting them to 1 bowl of food in the morning and 1 bowl in the afternoon (between both of them)?

Or should I limit them to just one bowl of food, forcing them (and wanting to) to forage in the yard during the afternoon when I let the chickens go out and free range in the yard? Now that they can't just lay down and eat chicken feed all day, they'll stick to eating the dandelion greens in their bus tub and drinking the water (I add niacin to it).

Thanks!
 
They are still growing. They will need all the nutrients they can get to grow their feathers. Personally I would not limit their food. Place food and water apart if you think you need to make them walk

Ducks are prey animals. Domestic ducks can't escape by air. Their only protection is being able to get to water (which doesn't work for all predators) or having a human keep them in a predator safe enclosure. No matter how many feathers they have or how much exercise they get if a predator finds them unsecured, they will be eaten.

By the way my ducks (Pekin mixed) and silkies go on top of a silkie shelter that is 18 inches high.
 
Northern-MI-Neighborhood said:
Here are some videos from my Coop Cam. I didn't upload them in order...but you can see their tail feathers and hear their quacks In most of the videos. Hopefully the audio is clear enough to determine if they are Drakes or hens.

1748502849607_0.mp4

Coop cap 01

1748502864634_0.mp4

Coop cam 02

1748503036131_0.mp4

Coop cam 03

1748503060904_0.mp4

Coop cam 04

1748503068475_0.mp4

Coop cam 05

1748503202287_0.mp4

Coop cam 06

1748503153013_0.mp4

Coop cam 07
Click to expand...
You have really sweet ducks and they are so pretty. My guess is that you have one of each coming from the sounds that I heard on your videos. They can be foolers though so in time you will know for sure.
 
Northern-MI-Neighborhood said:
These pekins are my moms, but I'm raising them until they're feathered out so they don't get eaten in the country. These pekins are about 4-6 weeks old. I forgot when I got them, exactly. What I do know is that every day they look (and definitely FEEL) 1/2lb bigger! I had no idea they could get that much bigger so fast!! They doubled in size in about 1.5 weeks time! Now, it seems like they are more fat then muscle.

They aren't having any walking issues. While they were getting duck feed in bowls, them and the chickens would gobble it down by the time the day was half over. The rest of the day, they would lay by the chicken feeder (a 5 gallon bucket with 3 ports) and they would have their bill in the feeder about 50% of the time. Then they would take breaks after an hour to do the same for the chickens water..... despite them having their own water.

Because they started getting so fat and big so quick, I started adding a BUNCH of waterfowl vitamins (HIGH in niacin) to the chicken water...then the chicken food, since they got too lazy to walk to their food by the water tub and just wanted to eat the chicken food.

Now, as of yesterday, I have taken the chicken food and put it on top of the small chicken coop. They can all fly up there to eat - except my silkie rooster....he's too stupid. I gave him his own tiny little feeder inside his coop. I don't have vermin problems and it's very dry in there. If he could fly about 18 inches up, he could access the 5 gallon chicken feeder.

So now, they'll have lots of niacin in their bus-tub water (which I throw a bunch of dandelion greens in daily...along with Metzer farm waterfowl vitamins) AND mixing into the chicken water. But now, for food.... they'll have to wait until I bring their food dish out to them. While they aren't at risk of niacin deficiency, I feel it's the only way to reduce the risk of them getting to fat and lazy to the point which they start having trouble walking and leg issues from the weight and lack of exercise, alone!!

When they were 3-4 weeks old, me and the kids would walk them around the block 2x per day. But now, they don't even want to walk out the gate of the chicken run! I have to goose them into going out into the yard!!

I was thinking about fencing in my side yard with 2ft chicken wire fence. It is about 60ftx 80ft, but I don't have to fence in the whole thing. I want them to gain some muscle under all their fat before they completely feather out
That way, they can avoid becoming a snack for predators when they go to my mom's. I have to lock them in their coop at night currently (which is just a big Rubbermaid tote on its side with 2 pieces of plywood in front of it to keep them in and any vermin out).

Has anybody had this issue with their pekins with them getting too fat and lazy at 5-6 weeks old? Am I doing the right thing by limiting them to 1 bowl of food in the morning and 1 bowl in the afternoon (between both of them)?

Or should I limit them to just one bowl of food, forcing them (and wanting to) to forage in the yard during the afternoon when I let the chickens go out and free range in the yard? Now that they can't just lay down and eat chicken feed all day, they'll stick to eating the dandelion greens in their bus tub and drinking the water (I add niacin to it).

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Northern-MI-Neighborhood said:
They're both hens!
Click to expand...
Congratulations! My two rescued ducklings turned out to be both drakes.
20250409_145343.jpg
20250414_131700.jpg

In response to your question about doubling size and getting too fat, you did the right thing to start them on twice daily feed from 4 weeks old. My rescues doubled in size in their third week of life. I was totally shocked, but then as they continued to grow, I realized that they are jumbo pekins. Unfortunately, the larger of the two did get leg and gait problems He had a bowed tibia when he was rescued and despite high level Durvet Vit B compound, and hobble binding, along with frequent swimming in a big tote, I could not get the legs to straighten out for him to walk properly by 8 weeks he could hardly walk -- tripping over grass. Then he got foot drop on his right foot. I thought he was trapping a nerve from being huge and sitting around all day doing nothing. To cut a long story short, he passed away this week at 14 weeks old. I spent hours with the boy trying to strengthen his legs, swimming sessions and caring for him. His slightly smaller brother has done well, but he is enormous -- as big as the smallest of my 3 muscovy, and he is tightly bonded with me from all the time I spent with both ducklings when I was doing the swim therapy -- I had both ducklings in together so he got a lot of personal attention from me too. I worry that he is destined for joint problems but he is running around active with my flock [all drakes and the muscovy are quite lazy, but I have another pekin drake that is very active] so I hope his muscle mass will protect his joints.

The two photos were taken 5 days apart in the first week they were with me, in the same pink plastic tub
 
Last edited:

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