Muscovy ducks: Male or Female?!?

[lmj2898]

Hi all!
About a month ago I took home 4 Muscovy ducks from a coworker. They are my first ducks I’ve ever owned and so far i absolutely love everything about this breed. The only thing is, I have no idea if I got all males or all females! I’d take any guesses you have as to which they are.
They are all the same size and about 2.5 months old. I’ve attached pictures that I took today. They all have their flight feathers pretty much in and run around the yard attempting to fly. I’ve also noticed some of them making a honking noise when startled but other than that they still make the cute cooing trill sound.

 

[KathiQuacks]

@Miss Lydia @ruthhope any ideas?

I’m not sure when Muscovy get their adult voices, but honking and cute, cooing trill sounds like females to me. How much do they weigh? I’m not confident enough to sex by appearance.

 

[lmj2898]

@Miss Lydia @ruthhope any ideas?

I’m not sure when Muscovy get their adult voices, but honking and cute, cooing trill sounds like females to me. How much do they weigh? I’m not confident enough to sex by appearance.

They all weigh about 3.8lbs at the moment!
It’s just so hard to tell. Based on sound they definitely seem female but then their tales make more of a U shape than a V shape. I tried to go off of bill shape as well but I’ve heard that’s not super reliable either.

 

[KathiQuacks]

3.8 lbs, I’d feel more confident saying hens, then. Drakes should be quite a bit heavier by now.
I hope someone else can confirm, though

 

[ruthhope]

3.8 lbs, I’d feel more confident saying hens, then. Drakes should be quite a bit heavier by now.
I hope someone else can confirm, though

I agree. But I also doubt the 3.8lb weight. Those ducks look 6lbs. Drakes carry on growing. I have a 12lb drake and two 14lb drakes. They carried on growing from 6-8 weeks when females slow down and stop growing at 6 to 7lbs.

That they don't have broad tails but more pointed tails, also indicates female

 

[skeeeter]

If they all have their flight feathers they are all females, males get their flights slower, by the time those start coming in, the males are larger and they get their caruncles faster.

 

[lmj2898]

I agree. But I also doubt the 3.8lb weight. Those ducks look 6lbs. Drakes carry on growing. I have a 12lb drake and two 14lb drakes. They carried on growing from 6-8 weeks when females slow down and stop growing at 6 to 7lbs.

That they don't have broad tails but more pointed tails, also indicates female

It’s very possible that the weight is off! We just used a digital scale comparing our weight before and while holding one of the ducks.
And good to know about their growth! I read somewhere that they aren’t full grown until 6 months but sounds like that was definitely off! I think you are definitely right about female. Their rate of growth has definitely slowed.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

The male's definitely will make their voices known. They do an excited 'huffing' sound when greeting. The girls will coo, trill and occasional make a gobble sound.

 

[ruthhope]

It’s very possible that the weight is off! We just used a digital scale comparing our weight before and while holding one of the ducks.
And good to know about their growth! I read somewhere that they aren’t full grown until 6 months but sounds like that was definitely off! I think you are definitely right about female. Their rate of growth has definitely slowed.

You are right, they are not fully grown until about 6 months when they will also get adult plumage. The juvenile plumage can be very different. But the female muscovies grow much slower from 6 weeks whereas the males continue to grow at a fast rate

The drakes become proud of themselves, and strut around wiyh their tails fanned and their feathers stood out from their bodies. I have had a big drake with full face of carruncles mistaken for a turkey when he was strutting his stuff.
But way before then, the females become vocal and can be heard gurgling away.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Just looking at their overall 'look', I see four females. Mainly due to those pretty and dainty faces.