Duck sexing

[nachoqtpie]

Okay, so I posted a few times over in BYC, but it seems like someone will answer my question, then I will have more questions, and then my thread just dies... so I'm HOPING someone with some experience with ducks can help me.

So... as we all know I have 4 ducks. I was hoping for 3 females and a male. It does not seem like thats how it's going to go. I'm pretty positive that I have a hen and drake Pekin, but I'm not sure about my Mallards. Neither are quacking/whacking, both still have a bit of a peep to them still. They have all decided that I'm no longer allowed to hold them, but all come running in the morning when I bring the food, tho I still can't get close enough to pick them up.

Here's my issue. Neither of my mallards are quacking... but one of them is developing more of a muddy brown bill versus going more yellow/orange. The one that has the muddy bill, it's wing feathers are more of a purple blue, where as the other with the yellowing bill has more of a green blue, and has a slight green sheen to it's head.

I don't want to get rid of any of the ducks... but I know that having more than one drake could be very disastrous for me AND the duck hen(s).

ANY help would be very very very very very appreciated!

 

[nachoqtpie]

So... I took some pictures so you guys don't think I'm crazy... (which I might be...)

Here are the 2 Mallards side by side so you can see what I'm talking about with their bills...

And this one of Phineas just cracks me up every time I look at it

 

[vfem]

Those both look female to me, don't the males have green heads?!

Anyway, I want to see your pekins and know the ages of all the ducks?

 

[Detlor Poultry]

Mallard drakes stay in juvenile/eclipse plumage for a very long time before very quickly molting into nuptial (Grey) plumage.

Detlor Poultry, who I might remind you is thouroughly weathered inthe duck department

 

[Detlor Poultry]

One more thing.... why do you wish to have only one drake?

 

[nachoqtpie]

Det... I only want 1 drake because I have 4 ducks. I figure a 3:1 ratio would be pretty good... not too sure how it would go the other way around.. or even a 1:1 ratio. What do you think I got there? Drake and a hen? 2 drakes? 2 females? (Oh pretty please!! LOL)

And just for you vfem... here's all 4 together. I'm not sure of their exact hatch date, but we got the Mallards on 31March and I BELIEVE 06April for the Pekins. TSC said they got them every Monday morning, so... within 3 days of the Monday before those dates I would imagine.

 

[Detlor Poultry]

Okay, 1:1 ratio is much safer, actually. For one thing, ducks mate in pairs, nd the duck chosen by the drake will get his undying (yet usually clumsy) valour and protection, and for another thing, Ducks have this breeding problem............. do I really want to explain it to a woman..... no...... if you want a drake, you should keep more than one. You should keep it so that at maximum the drake hs 2 girls to mate with....otherwise (see above)......... I am catering to this problem in one of my drakes right now. He has a very ouchy bottom, shall we say........

 

[Detlor Poultry]

The mallards are ascertainably a pair, but the pekins.... there is no way to tell until two pubescent things happen: Quacking for hens, Sex feathers for Drakes.

Detlor Poultry

 

[bluelacedredhead]

According to Feathersite, with all domestic breeds except Muscovies, there are two main clues. First is that, by about 10 weeks of age, the voice of the female is a loud quack, while that of the male is soft and whispery. Second, later on the males develop a curled feather (the drake feather) on top of the tail.

Since your ducklings are at the most, 6 weeks of age, you have a little longer to wait until these changes take place.

They are very cute BTW.

 

[Detlor Poultry]

BTW, I seriously doubt the authenticity of your mallards. For one thing, most 'tub' Mallards are some sort of either Rouen or Call cross, and for another thing, that's what they look like. They shouldn't hve so many good feathers right now, and they have a very Call-y look about them. and if you don't have a license I would suggest calling them Grey Calls anyways