Pekin Duck Club!

[Apyl]

I'm tying to figure out how old mine are '

they have most of their white down grown in and are dropping fluffy when we hold them. I feel pin feathers but don't see any "grown up" feathers yet. Wings have little tiny "sickly" looking feathers but are still yellow. I've had them for 2 week. I have one for sure that halfway honks. I'm thinking 4-5weeks maybe?

Post a pic Then we can help you out.

 

[emilee427]

Also I think the duckies in the box are boys and the one in my lap is a hen...anyone know how to tell other than a honk every now and then. The "boys" are bigger and "she" always keeps herself spotless while they don't mind being dirty silly duckies

 

[Apyl]

Also I think the duckies in the box are boys and the one in my lap is a hen...anyone know how to tell other than a honk every now and then. The "boys" are bigger and "she" always keeps herself spotless while they don't mind being dirty

silly duckies

I would say 2 1/2 weeks old. Thats how old my babies are right now and they look the same. I looked back at some pics of my older pekins and she was fully feathered white by 5 weeks old.
As for the sexes, there is still no way of telling. Both voices are going thru a change at this point, once you here that defined quack you'll know you have a girl.

 

[Apyl]

Well, my hatch ducklings are now 2 1/2 weeks old and I'm on my 3rd brooder lol. Now they've been transfered to the tub. Luckily we have a seperate shower cause the duckling would destroy their bedding in 10 minutes of changing it. They seem alot happier now with more space. I also changed their waterer so hopefully it wont get as bad. And of course we had freezing rain last night so everything is covered in ice. Last year it was high 70's and I already kicked my ducks out to the coop. This year these babies are going to be full grown by time the weather cooperates.

 

[countrygirl74]

First off, welcome.

I'll try to answer you questions as best as possible.

It takes 28+\- days for duck eggs to hatch. If the duck was broody, she'd be sitting all the time. Most likely she's not broody. I would take the eggs outta the nest.

X2 - She would be sitting on them all the time if she was broody.

Well, my hatch ducklings are now 2 1/2 weeks old and I'm on my 3rd brooder lol. Now they've been transfered to the tub. Luckily we have a seperate shower cause the duckling would destroy their bedding in 10 minutes of changing it. They seem alot happier now with more space. I also changed their waterer so hopefully it wont get as bad. And of course we had freezing rain last night so everything is covered in ice. Last year it was high 70's and I already kicked my ducks out to the coop. This year these babies are going to be full grown by time the weather cooperates.

I raised my first batch of ducks in the fall/winter so they were in our bathtub until they were 8 weeks! It was single digit nights, sometimes 0 degrees at night, and one of them was being really slow to feather in completely. I feel your pain. The kids were beginning to wonder when they could use the restroom without 4 ducks staring at them.

I would say 2 1/2 weeks old. Thats how old my babies are right now and they look the same. I looked back at some pics of my older pekins and she was fully feathered white by 5 weeks old.
As for the sexes, there is still no way of telling. Both voices are going thru a change at this point, once you here that defined quack you'll know you have a girl.

X2 - wait for the quack. The girls will be a nice loud quack and the boys will have a quiet, raspy one.

 

[lorid]

Okay, I misunderstood - I thought maybe you were saying that you had more originally and then got it down to 2 males and a female. How's the temps where you are? Most ducks that were born last spring or fall are just starting to lay as Spring comes with longer days and warmer temperatures. She also might need some time after being picked on too much. What are you feeding, etc?

My ducks were born around the end of June, because we found them the first week of July and they were tiny little things. (They just walked into the back yard one day, with no mother or father around). I live in NY so we are just starting to get some warmer temps here about 50 to 60 and the male who was picking on her just left last week. I feed them duck food from the farm store (corn pellets), chopped up apples and hand feed them cheerios for a special snack not to mention they free range all over the yard. I hope she will start laying soon. Thanks for all the information.

 

[lorid]

Welcome to the club. I'm new too, and I love the information people have here. Enjoy your ducks. They are great fun!

 

[Chickiemommie87]

My little ones are about two weeks old on Friday and I'm starting to see little feathers under their fluff! Btw they both feel much better. I took them outside yesterday for some sun they had a blast. Their faces were all muddy from foraging it was too cute!

 

[emilee427]

Ok so 2 1/2 to 3 weeks. I've had them for 2 1/2 so may closer to 3 or 3 1/2. Tyvm :$

 

[CKotraba]

First of all - Welcome to all the new Pekin Fans today!!

It's hard to tell for sure but it looks like one of yours might very well be a Pekin, but the one with the dark bill is not - maybe a cross with a Pekin, but not a true Pekin. Pekins have orange bills and orange feet and are all yellow when little - obviously all white when grown.

Thank you for the information. If it does turn out to be a pekin is there any markings to tell if its male or female when it gets older?