what if we get straight run?

[HSerChickLady]

I finally found a hatchery that has the bantam ducks my kids want but they only offer straight run. Is this as bad as getting straight run chickens? Because that hasn't turned out well at all for us in the past-instead of getting just a few males we were overrun with males (4 out of 5 were roo's). I still think i'd rather buy from a place that lets me get sexed ducks even if they're not the kids first choice of breeds but figured i'd ask first just incase it's not as bad as i'd imagined.

 

[FireTigeris]

Supposedly it's a fiffy-fifty chance but the fewer you get the less likely you are to get 50/50 ... Take a coin and pick a side to be female and run three test. Each test is a possible group of ducklings. Flip the coin the number of times that you are getting ducklings.

If you are getting 7 ducklings flip the coin 7 times for test one and record your results.

I think you will find over all of the test you will have close to fifty/fifty but each test might be heavy males or females.

 

[jamband]

some would infer that since most breeds people want way more females so the males are heavy in the straight runs.....I mean hatching is 50/50 but bemand probably 99/1 so ???? Just have a plan for the males if thats what you want.

 

[NYRIR]

Well last year I bought 6 UNsexed ducklings locally...and only ONE was a girl! LOL.... but you may have better odds!
Funny thing is, I tried sexing them myself on day 3 and thought I only had ONE boy!

Uhmmm....won't quit my day job....

 

[HSerChickLady]

I'm not good at getting the better end of the deal with things like this. I'm usually the one to get the wrong mixing. I'll probably stick with the one's i can order sexed but we'll see when we have our family meeting about them.

 

[NYRIR]

Sounds like a good idea...besides, once you get a duckling...no one will care what kind it is...they are ALL cute

 

[ducksinarow]

I would get the straight run. Once the hens hatch some eggs your numbers would be messed up anyway. I got straight run at Rural King and ended up with 3 girls and 2 boys, not perfect but it has been fine for us.

 

[HSerChickLady]

The hubby said no straight run. So we'll stick with the one's that are sexed for this batch. Maybe in a few years if they're still really into ducks we can try for bantams then.

 

[Tahai]

If you're not prepared to freezer-camp your extra drakes, then sexed ducklings are probably the best choice.

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

The reason you get more males then females with straight run in hatcherys, is because they usually sex out extra females, and just throw you whatever they have left. Which are usually males. But if they don't sex ANY of their birds, then you will get a 50\50. Good luck!