Beak/Head Coloration to Sex Pekin Ducklings?

[Daisy8s]

I have four Pekin ducklings, about 2 weeks old. Two of them have longer, more yellow beaks plus a smidge of black on the top of their heads. The other two ducklings have shorter, more pink beaks and no black on the top of their heads.

The two with the longer, more yellow beaks also are taller and thinner in body shape and their beak has more of a "roman nose" shape at the top.

I know you're supposed to use voice to sex them but they're all peeping right now, not quacking yet.

Can I use these differences in beak and head used to sex the ducklings? Any thoughts on which is which?

Thanks!

 

[Onlyducks]

I have read this works, but I don't think it's as accurate as it's said to be. I had pekings last year, three had orange bills, two flesh colored. When the first female started laying, the beak turned orange. Also, I got 5 eggs a day with only two pekins that had the flesh colored bills. I read that a curl of the tail feathers indicated sex, but none of mine had that curl. They did, however, mate so my guess is there were males. They also have different quacks and the females are loud. In the end, the only way I could have figured out male/female is to separate the ducks and see who laid eggs. That or check the sex organs, but I wasn't that curious. Hopefully, someone knows!

 

[Going Quackers]

Nope.. i have a half dozen, half have the pink bill, the other the more orange.. i have 1 drake and 5 ducks... it was voice that is how i figured it out, some can vent sex which is the youngest way you can tell...

Drake curls? those don't come till much later on by then you should be able to tell by voice.. by a few weeks old..

 

[Onlyducks]

Drake curls do come later. I really could not tell by the voice though I'm sure that's just me. I did notice the one female was very noisy.

 

[Daisy8s]

Well, the ducks are grown and the mystery of the different bill colors is solved. We did not have two Pekin ducklings. We had one Pekin and one Runner duck.

The people at the farm store assured me only Pekins were in the tub I was choosing from but clearly they didn't have a clue that it was a mixed bunch.

So, the ducklings with the shorter, more yellow bill with the smidge of dark coloring are Runners; and the ducklings with the longer, more pink bills are Pekin ducks.

I guess I don't really care. It is easy to tell them apart this way. But, I wish the employees at the farm store could be trusted to have at least some basic knowledge about what they're selling.

 

[Going Quackers]

Well, the ducks are grown and the mystery of the different bill colors is solved. We did not have two Pekin ducklings. We had one Pekin and one Runner duck.

The people at the farm store assured me only Pekins were in the tub I was choosing from but clearly they didn't have a clue that it was a mixed bunch.

So, the ducklings with the shorter, more yellow bill with the smidge of dark coloring are Runners; and the ducklings with the longer, more pink bills are Pekin ducks.

I guess I don't really care. It is easy to tell them apart this way. But, I wish the employees at the farm store could be trusted to have at least some basic knowledge about what they're selling.

That's to bad, but something i have heard done. Both are good breeds but your being upset is understandable, if you bought X you should have received x. My pekin as i said have differing bill colours but they are all pekin, but likely different strains as the farm they came from does sell two different kinds.

 

[moodieslog]

I have the same issue with two ducks I bought from Tractor supply. I assumed they are both Pekin, but today I found out about the Alesbury duck which is a breed similar to Pekin but larger and with pink beak. I tend to believe I have one of those, as it is also slightly larger

 

[Ratchnick]

I have the same issue with two ducks I bought from Tractor supply. I assumed they are both Pekin, but today I found out about the Alesbury duck which is a breed similar to Pekin but larger and with pink beak. I tend to believe I have one of those, as it is also slightly larger

I think alsbury are pretty rare in the us. To rare for TSC.

 

[Isaac 0]

I have the same issue with two ducks I bought from Tractor supply. I assumed they are both Pekin, but today I found out about the Alesbury duck which is a breed similar to Pekin but larger and with pink beak. I tend to believe I have one of those, as it is also slightly larger

Alesbury ducks are quite rare in the US, most likely you have one White layer and a Pekin.