Can Female Ducks have a curly tail?

[Smokey2201]

I got 2 ducks that were supposed to be female. I noticed that one of them has a curly tail feather. Does that mean that shes a drake? Thanks

 

[jducour]

She is most likely a drake. I have heard of a female duck getting a curl if there are no males present, so there is a possibility it is a female. The best way to tell for sure is from their voices. Pick up each one individually and listen to them quack. Is it loud and honky? Or is it low and toady? (sorry, it's what I think they sound like LOL!) If they sound exactly the same as each other, they are most likely the same gender. How old are they? Oh - and pictures!

 

[Smokey2201]

Thanks! I picked her up and it sounds low and toady so I am guessing she is a he. I just got them and I think they are 2 years old. I have no idea what breed. Do you happen to know what breed? Here are some pictures

 

[jducour]

They look like a Khaki Campbell cross of some kind. Maybe Pekin? I know some Pekin crosses will get a bib of white, so maybe that is where that patch is from. Are they siblings? They are very pretty ducks! Are they your first?

 

[Smokey2201]

They look like a Khaki Campbell cross of some kind. Maybe Pekin? I know some Pekin crosses will get a bib of white, so maybe that is where that patch is from. Are they siblings? They are very pretty ducks! Are they your first?

Thanks! I think they might be siblings cause they are very close but Im not for sure. Kinda of I have 2 rouens, 3 muscovies, 2 anconas, and 1 pekin that are 12 weeks.

 

[jducour]

I was thinking siblings because their coloring is so similar, but not a breed standard that I know of. How much do they weigh? They look like pretty heavy birds!

 

[JadeComputerGal]

Thanks! I picked her up and it sounds low and toady so I am guessing she is a he. I just got them and I think they are 2 years old. I have no idea what breed. Do you happen to know what breed? Here are some pictures

They look like Khaki Campbells to me, one drake and one duck. The white on the throat is a little misleading, but it's actually a genetic anomaly that's not unusual in KCs.

 

[jducour]

They look like Khaki Campbells to me, one drake and one duck. The white on the throat is a little misleading, but it's actually a genetic anomaly that's not unusual in KCs.

Oh really? Interesting. My KC drake has a white patch right under his bill, I heard that it is a normal color mutation. Is that the same thing, just lower down the throat? @JadeComputerGal And Jade, if they are pure Khaki Campbells, is it common enough that they aren't siblings, or would you think they are related since it is a little more rare?

 

[Amiga]

I got 2 ducks that were supposed to be female. I noticed that one of them has a curly tail feather. Does that mean that shes a drake? Thanks

My duck Vier has a curly tail feather. Yup. She's female. She did not always have that. She got it after we got Bean, a drake. I checked with another duck person, and she said, yes, sometimes they'll do that.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

Oh really? Interesting. My KC drake has a white patch right under his bill, I heard that it is a normal color mutation. Is that the same thing, just lower down the throat? @JadeComputerGal And Jade, if they are pure Khaki Campbells, is it common enough that they aren't siblings, or would you think they are related since it is a little more rare?

Yes, that's right, same thing. It can also happen below the bill. My guess would be they same from the same clutch, but that would be nothing but a guess. The anomaly is common enough that I'm thinking large-scale hatcheries probably get a good number of these. I'm pretty sure it's a disqualification from show, but I think it's kind of cute.