When Can You Tell?

[Padfoot417]

Hey all,
I'm a new owner of a Mallard duckling and just have a question.
How old does a duckling have to be before you can determine it's gender?
I've named my duckling Chance,but I don't know if it's a boy.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!

 

[Baylor]

You cant start to tell around 3 weeks if you hear a humming when they are just sitting around - by 6 weeks they are quacking. Females quack and males dont. I actually had several females start that humming sound in week 2 - I am on my 3rd hatching of ducks so I am used to hearing the sound now and can pick it out early.

 

[LilyAshley11]

Hey all,
I'm a new owner of a Mallard duckling and just have a question.
How old does a duckling have to be before you can determine it's gender?
I've named my duckling Chance,but I don't know if it's a boy.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!

The males have the tail up, the females down, and the female is more noisy

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Tail up and down doesn't tell anything. Vent sexing, quacks, or waiting for the adult plumage and tail curl on the drake.

 

[downsm75]

I have 2 that peep peep quietly ALL THE TIME.... No clue of their gender.

 

[Missy60]

My mallards are very, very quiet. I have heard one quacking I think but they so seldom make a sound now. It seems the older they get the quieter they are. They use to peep a lot when you would separate them, but they don't even make a sound when separated now.

One does have a darker colored bill and the other one has more yellow in it, but it's the smaller one. It is also the more timid one, it waits for the darker billed one to check out new things.

 

[LilyAshley11]

Tail up and down doesn't tell anything. Vent sexing, quacks, or waiting for the adult plumage and tail curl on the drake.

That, was what I meant