what are some easy ways for a begginer to sex his woodies??

[lcw1995]

i have 2
they hatched on may 26th
they have all there feathers..
most of their feathers are the color and look of a female malard
they have greyish colored beaks...
thats about it..
is there any other ways....
thanks, cole.

 

[destinduck]

The sounds they make will tell you. Males have a very faint voice. If you are hearing them much at all they are girls. Plus the males bill colors start to appear at 8 weeks

 

[lcw1995]

when they get stranded away from their mother, they just make a really loud peep peep peep peep until they find her. In the morning though when they come out of their pen its a real faint peep peep peep.....?? Confusing....

 

[Speceider]

If their wings are feathered:

At this time of year, for banding we would be workng off Sam Carney's key. Here's what it says for wood ducks:

Sex Determination: The white trailing edge of the secondaries on females is much wider on the outer webs than on the inner webs. On males, this white edge is approximately the same width on both webs. On females, the first secondary proximal to these white-edged feathers is washed with black on the outer web. Males have no black on this feather.

Males: Greater coverts and middle coverts paler than blue tertial coverts; bluish color often confined to two rows of coverts nearest secondaries

Females: Greater coverts often iridescent only on outer webs; blue usually confined to two rows of coverts anterior to secondarys.

Clint

 

[waterdog]

The easiest way to sex young woodies is the white coloring on the face. The hen will have a white ring around the eye and the drakes will develop a white stripe that runs from the jaw up the side of the face.

If you look close at the picture the bird on the right is a drake you can see the white line just behind eye, and the one in the middle is a hen she does not have the white line and is starting to get the white ring around the eye. This gets more defined as they get older.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

same thing I was about to say waterdog.
Of course when in doubt, just flip them over and vent sex them.