When do drake feathers come in?

[eggybritches]

I have three runners and I really would like to know what I have. They'll be 2 months old on the 15th. The smallest one definitely quacks, but the other two aren't quacking yet. One of them has been quacking on and off since she/he was tiny, but this last week she's back to just peeping.

If I end up with 2 boys / 1 girl will I have to get rid of one or do you think they may be able to live together

 

[eggybritches]

Pictures while we wait?

I think I will!

My babies:

August

Trudy

Hugo

 

[pardygwyn]

It's been several years, but if I remember correctly drake feathers come in even after drake voices start to. I don't recall ever getting a chance to sex from those. Which duck are you uncertain about? I usually assume a quacking duck's a girl until proven otherwise. Trudy's gorgeous!

 

[688peterl]

i think its 5 months

 

[688peterl]

or is that when the girls start to lay? im so dumb lol

 

[pardygwyn]

Pfff, it's the blind leading the blind here. ;D I never paid attention to age, I always went by feathering. By the time they're as feathered as Peter's, the girls should be quacking when they get loud. Their happy/contented noises actually don't change all that much. That surprised me with my first duck.

Boys are comparably quiet once the side feathers and tail start growing in. They tend to "speak out" in longer, less frequent noises, too, instead of all the short, prolific noises that the girls retain. Even when they try to be loud, the most change they get until their wings really start coming in is a slightly rusty peep (I love teenage boy duck noises!). If you ever butcher, once you've seen the huge knuckle of bone and cartilage they have to grow in order to make their low noises, you'll understand why it takes them so long to develop their adult voice.

 

[todd walker]

I've only ever had mallards and around 4 1/2 months the color starts and by 5-5 1/2 months they are green heads.

 

[eggybritches]

The first two aren't doing anything but peeping still, the smallest, Hugo, has a definitive quack. Actually, I think she's part goose because it's more like a honk.

I just really don't want two males and a female, but it seems that's how it's going to turn out to be.

 

[pardygwyn]

Is August the one you're not sure about? S/he seems to be getting the beak lightening I would expect of a darker-colored drake of that age. Hard to tell when I'm not around to watch them grow up, though. Definitely don't keep two boys and one girl, it'll be murder on the poor thing. ):

 

[688peterl]

i seen this thing on ebay before that can sex ducks for you (or so it says), you point it at the duck (or egg) and it points one way for a girl and the other for a boy, not sure i believe it though