Wild mallards! When will they fly and be sexed?

[FlowerFarmer]

I'M HOPING SOMEONE HAS SOME EXPERIENCE WITH RAISING MALLARDS!

My husband rescued 3 wild mallards, and our friends are raising them.
They are a few moths old and looking all the SAME. They don't quack, so we're waiting for some coloring, and/or the tail feathers curling.... but nothig yet. They were wild, so mom hasn't taught them to fly off, but it's oly a matter of time.

Does anyone know about how much time? And when they were able to tell their sex?

THX

 

[desertdarlene]

They should be showing their colors within the next month. But, there should already be signs such as a yellowing bill on the males and something like a loud quack on the females (whose bills will remain orange or blue).

 

[La Mike]

3-4 months you should be able to tell easy. Look at their head in the sun the males should start having a green sheen where the hens wont

As far as flying should be about 5-6 mos.

 

[ericdc]

my mallards are flying a little right now in short bursts and they are almost 8 weeks old. I can tell drakes from hens by vocalizations and bill color.

 

[Speceider]

Wild mallards fledge when thay are 42-50 days old. They don't need "mom:" to teach them to fly. If their wing plumage is in, you can sex then by the tertial coverts. White edging on the tertial coverts is how we, as biologists, sex (and age) mallards for banding.

Clint

 

[DuckLover9138]

If they let them outside and allow them to practice flapping their wings, they could be flying in 3-3.5 month. They start with standing up and flapping their wings, then towards short bursts, and finally to migration...

 

[dumb_cluck]

Read my blog on my website: http://www.thebigskyranch.com/mallard_family.htm