Washingtonians

[KMHunter]

Hi, I've never posted on this thread before (overwhelmed by the size of it!! YIKES!) but I'd really like to find some people local to me. I have 2.5 week old ducklings and would really like to have them vent sexed. I just cannot for the life of me find anyone who can do it! I've posted on craigslist, called feed stores, avian vets. I only have 2 and I just need to be sure its not 2 drakes. I've read descriptions on how, and I know there's videos but.. I just can't do this myself. It has to be someone who for sure knows how to do it without causing damage. I had a terrible accident while hatching (incubator shorted out when there was 7+ zips, spiked the temp, killed all but one right before my eyes!) then we bought 2 more ducklings to keep the survivor company, then my 5yo stepped on one And topping it off, my mom's dog just ate 3 (of 5) of her newborn kittens. I seriously cannot handle any more preventable, accidental baby animal death. I'm becoming a neurotic, overprotective basket case of a duckmama. and thats the long version of why I'm not trusting myself to try to sex them myself.

Aaaanyway... I live in Kenmore. Is there anyone here near me who knows how to vent sex a duck?

I don't know anyone who can sex them but I hope you find someone. My vet couldn't even really vent sex a chick of mine with real confident accuracy. i think it's an art, not neccessarily a science. Good luck!

 

[rainboweggs]

All ads must be in the Buy Sell Trade area of the forum, please.

edited by staff

 

[pettec63]

Quote:

x2!!

 

[FlyRobinFly]

Just popping in real quick, welcome to all the new folks, and SadieSue...those pics were beautiful and hard to believe they were from a phone!
Have a great weekend everyone.

 

[hallerlake]

Hi, I've never posted on this thread before (overwhelmed by the size of it!! YIKES!) but I'd really like to find some people local to me. I have 2.5 week old ducklings and would really like to have them vent sexed. I just cannot for the life of me find anyone who can do it! I've posted on craigslist, called feed stores, avian vets. I only have 2 and I just need to be sure its not 2 drakes. I've read descriptions on how, and I know there's videos but.. I just can't do this myself. It has to be someone who for sure knows how to do it without causing damage. I had a terrible accident while hatching (incubator shorted out when there was 7+ zips, spiked the temp, killed all but one right before my eyes!) then we bought 2 more ducklings to keep the survivor company, then my 5yo stepped on one And topping it off, my mom's dog just ate 3 (of 5) of her newborn kittens. I seriously cannot handle any more preventable, accidental baby animal death. I'm becoming a neurotic, overprotective basket case of a duckmama. and thats the long version of why I'm not trusting myself to try to sex them myself.

Aaaanyway... I live in Kenmore. Is there anyone here near me who knows how to vent sex a duck?

Not a clue, but some of us are meeting at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park at seven this evening. Join us.

 

[lilstar]

Not a clue, but some of us are meeting at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park at seven this evening. Join us.

Ooohh... I just might! Kid friendly? I have 3!! How will I find you? I'll have a baby tied to my back

 

[hallerlake]

Quote:
I will wear some kind of distinctive hat. Possibly the big purple one.

 

[TrystInn]

Aaaanyway... I live in Kenmore. Is there anyone here near me who knows how to vent sex a duck?

With very young ducklings, you can vent check just after hatching by dilating the vent: females have a larger, cone-shape organ, makes have a narrower, but longer organ that may take several seconds to appear when dilating the vent. Past a few days, however, it gets (ironically) more difficult.

We generally sex ducks with a combination of judging the quack (males have a hoarser quack, sounds like they have a horrible respiratory infection) which happens around 1 month of age and looking for the drake feather (appears around 2 months, may take longer in larger breeds), which curls upward. The quack is VERY distinctive and always accurate, so if you can hold out until 1 month, you're good to go in sexing.

If you want to post some videos, since you only have the two ducklings, I'm sure we could help with those quacks!

 

[lilstar]

No quackin yet, just sweet little peeps! They seem pretty attached to eachother and the only way it would matter is if I had 2 drakes and no hen (is that a problem?! I assumed that could be problematic. I won't be upset if I don't get eggs, just as long as they eat slugs! hahahaha) so thats why I'm getting antsy about sexing them before they get their feathers/quacks. One is a rouen, so that should be easy. If there's 2 boys, I would want to trade one sooner rather than later so the one I keep and the new one could bond from a younger age. Seems like it'd just be easier on everybody, if I'm destined not to keep one of them to get it over with quick, so everyone can get comfy in their forever home as young as possible, right? I was worried that if I waited too long to introduce a new duck, they might not be as bonded? Or maybe not.. I guess its only a couple more weeks before I should be expecting some quackin. Maybe I need to just chill and be patient

 

[ReikiStar]

Hi, I've never posted on this thread before (overwhelmed by the size of it!! YIKES!) but I'd really like to find some people local to me. I have 2.5 week old ducklings and would really like to have them vent sexed. I just cannot for the life of me find anyone who can do it! I've posted on craigslist, called feed stores, avian vets. I only have 2 and I just need to be sure its not 2 drakes. I've read descriptions on how, and I know there's videos but.. I just can't do this myself. It has to be someone who for sure knows how to do it without causing damage. I had a terrible accident while hatching (incubator shorted out when there was 7+ zips, spiked the temp, killed all but one right before my eyes!) then we bought 2 more ducklings to keep the survivor company, then my 5yo stepped on one And topping it off, my mom's dog just ate 3 (of 5) of her newborn kittens. I seriously cannot handle any more preventable, accidental baby animal death. I'm becoming a neurotic, overprotective basket case of a duckmama. and thats the long version of why I'm not trusting myself to try to sex them myself.

Aaaanyway... I live in Kenmore. Is there anyone here near me who knows how to vent sex a duck?

Welcome, Lilstar. Really sorry about all your losses.

To jump to the question of sexing ducklings, I don't know how young they have to be for this to work, but just this weekend a friend was helping some people sex ducklings using a technique I had only heard about. Supposedly, when you pick up a female duckling, she'll quack loudly/vigorously/her beak will open wide. When you pick up a young drake, his beak won't open as wide and he'll make a smaller sound. I don't have any scientific proof of this method but sometimes wives-tales type stuff has merit. At least it's something you can try and you won't have to worry about hurting the ducky. Try it and let us know if you see any difference in their quacking.