Please help determine duck genders

[CT]

I have some video here of my ducks. I don't know if any of them make noises that can help ID their genders. Most are Welsh Harlequins, but I only managed to catch a couple of those for individual videos and the marks I made on them are fading already! There are two Pekins, and I'm most anxious to ID those two, as I don't intend to keep them. Their genders will determine whether they get re-homed or freezer-camped. Thanks in advance for your help. If you can tell me what you see or hear that leads you to your conclusions, I would appreciate the instruction.

--Caren

 

[RubberDuckee]

Gosh... I wish I could help.. I don't know enough about ducks to tell, but my ducks do sound very, very different from yours. Mine ended up being all female. They are much louder when they are singled out and begin to call out as yours did in the bottom 2 videos. When mine call out it is a very distinctive and ear-jerking sound... Your ducks sounded much more subtle.

Perhaps someone on here who knows far more than I do could help you if you could post video singling out the different ducks while they are in the group... like in your 1st video. For example, watching your videos, I could hear what sounded like "quacks" in the background, but couldn't see the individual ducks making the sounds... I don't know if this would help or not, but it is a thought...

Good luck!

 

[steviethechick]

i dont know a whole lot about ducks..... yet but the person i got my ducks from raises them and told me the males are quiet when they quack and the females are very loud but like i said i dont know much about them yet

 

[ducky219502]

ok the first one, is that a pekin? i think its a Male. by the way it kinda has a raspy quack. i could be wrong but are the tail feathers kinda curled?

the second one, i think may be Female. again its all in the quack. it has kinda a loud quack. right? im not 100% sure but thats my guess

then the third one! i think is a Female also by the way it quacks. '

the males have a quiet but raspy quack. the females have a loud quack. but if that white one at the top has curled tail feathers then its a male.
~thats what i think, but i could be wrong!~

 

[CT]

Thanks for jumping in, guys. These are about as firm as my guesses have been so far too. In the first video I am trying to focus on the two pekins. I was advised to get them in small groups, like 3 at a time, and video them, but that proved to be impossible for me to do without any helpers around.

So far none of the ducks have curling drake feathers. I assume they are just too young for that. Anyone know when those sex feathers develop?

 

[PetesMom]

the pekin in the back sounds like it could be a female....the one in the front my guess is a male because its quiet. As for the Harley's its hard to tell. My GUESS would be female in the second vid....and male in the 3rd....going on color.

 

[chickchickchiky]

In the first video the loud one is a girl the quiet one a boy in the pekins. I believe you also have a pair of WH based on colors

 

[CT]

I was away for the weekend, and suddenly I see pretty significant differences that I think I can link to gender. And if I'm right, I've got exactly even numbers! 5 male, 5 female WH; 1 male, 1 female pekin. Time will prove it, I guess. When do those drake feathers come in and when do they take up mating? I know eggs come about 5-6 months, but I thought I might see mating or sex feathers first.

 

[wildpeas]

I dont know, none of my ducks are as high pitched and squeaky as yours. Mine are very loud, so loud that when they all get going you cant talk over them. I bought mine as all females. I'll try to get a video.

 

[bigbadwolf38]

In the videos, it is hard to tell. They sound very young. I have 1 drake and 1 hen, both pekin. I don't remember when the tail curled, but they only mate while in the water. Donald does have a raspy quack, like he's hoarse, and daisy is very loud, she wants to be heard!