Ok, out of my second ever hatch of ducks, I got all girls again (so weird!). The only boy I have is the white Pekin I was given. My little Saxony that I thought was a boy quacks with the others. The little Mallard, thought she was a boy... but no... I accidentally kicked a soccer ball their way and they flipped out... nothing like fear to squeeze a quack out of the quiet ones. Now they both mumble in girl speak as well like the other two. The Mallard/Pekin girls are LOUD. God forbid I get out there late to let them out. One solid QUACK of anger as soon as they hear me.
My last ducks years ago I didn't have long enough to ever see any eggs. Are they going to be like chickens and start around 6-8 months old? Or next Spring? Or whenever they please? Last time, I set 11 eggs, 5 hatched, ALL girls. Crazy that it happened twice now.
If I'm lucky it'll continue to happen when I start hatching the eggs from my ducks.
So I have 2 that are Pekin/Mallard, the dad was a small Mallard, the mom a Pekin. They are large girls! I wonder if they'll do giant green tinted eggs or white. They're 8 weeks old now along with the Mallard. The Saxony girl is 7 weeks old, just a week behind them.
What's weird, is I heard that boys will whistle. Like an alert noise. Before the Pekin came into play after Easter, I was getting whistles. But no boys?? I'm so confused! But there's no mistaking that QUACK each and every one of them made. Not a rasp anywhere to be heard besides from "Goose" (his name, because he's massive) I must have been mistaken on the whistle noise?
My little chocolate Call duckling does the same "whistle" noise I was hearing from the other group, but the white one does not. I want to say that it is a boy and a girl. Buuuuut... this whistle thing didn't pan out last time? They're only 2 weeks old.
The real question though, is when can I expect some eggs. October? That's the 6 month point. January when the days start getting longer? Sooner with artificial light?
My shipped ducklings... I'm hoping for a good mix of boys and girls. They don't ship out until the end of this month though. I'm hoping a boy will be ready right along with my older female to kick start my hatching.
Not sure what to expect out of the mixed girls. If my order is boy heavy they'll remain to improve the gender ratio.
My last ducks years ago I didn't have long enough to ever see any eggs. Are they going to be like chickens and start around 6-8 months old? Or next Spring? Or whenever they please? Last time, I set 11 eggs, 5 hatched, ALL girls. Crazy that it happened twice now.
If I'm lucky it'll continue to happen when I start hatching the eggs from my ducks.
So I have 2 that are Pekin/Mallard, the dad was a small Mallard, the mom a Pekin. They are large girls! I wonder if they'll do giant green tinted eggs or white. They're 8 weeks old now along with the Mallard. The Saxony girl is 7 weeks old, just a week behind them.
What's weird, is I heard that boys will whistle. Like an alert noise. Before the Pekin came into play after Easter, I was getting whistles. But no boys?? I'm so confused! But there's no mistaking that QUACK each and every one of them made. Not a rasp anywhere to be heard besides from "Goose" (his name, because he's massive) I must have been mistaken on the whistle noise?
My little chocolate Call duckling does the same "whistle" noise I was hearing from the other group, but the white one does not. I want to say that it is a boy and a girl. Buuuuut... this whistle thing didn't pan out last time? They're only 2 weeks old.
The real question though, is when can I expect some eggs. October? That's the 6 month point. January when the days start getting longer? Sooner with artificial light?
My shipped ducklings... I'm hoping for a good mix of boys and girls. They don't ship out until the end of this month though. I'm hoping a boy will be ready right along with my older female to kick start my hatching.
Not sure what to expect out of the mixed girls. If my order is boy heavy they'll remain to improve the gender ratio.
