# Curly feather Pics anyone? Trying to sex my ducklings



## CAjerseychick (Aug 11, 2013)

So we ended up with mixed bag of ducklings second time around (got some runner ducklings of varying ages) so have 1 wk olds to 3 or 4 week olds in together....

does anyone have a pic of the male "curly feather" on the tail and what age does that develop....?
I can see some feathers beginning to start on some little tails of the older ones....

Also as to sounds, they all make this panicked whistling noise when I come to the brooder, so not sure how to differentiate between them that way either....


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## powercat24 (Apr 3, 2014)

I know that female ducks are the loud ones and males are a lot quieter. The females actually quack and the males kind of make this chattering quack noise. Let me see if I can find a picture of the drake feathers for you. I want to say it will be a little while longer before you can tell which ones are which.


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## CAjerseychick (Aug 11, 2013)

powercat24 said:


> I know that female ducks are the loud ones and males are a lot quieter. The females actually quack and the males kind of make this chattering quack noise. Let me see if I can find a picture of the drake feathers for you. I want to say it will be a little while longer before you can tell which ones are which.


Thanks! 
(I have yet to hear a quack from any of them, even with the previous 8 ducklings that made it to 5 weeks-- they are all loud but make this whistling noise, though)...


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

if they have feathers growing in and are not quacking the loud AFLACK quack sound then they are likely all drakes, the voice comes in about the same time as the feathers, also depending on what color/Pattern their feathers are supposed to be the drakes will have a more grey green bill and the hens a more brown orange bill


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

At one to three weeks, they'd be too young to have curly tail feathers and, unless you've a good deal of experience, you won't recognize the "quack" reliably until at least 4 weeks old. To sex test for the "quack", we corral up our ducklings at 4 - 5 weeks old and have two empty pens handy. We catch each one and note if it "quacks!" or has the quieter raspy male noise. The girls go in one pen, the boys in the other. Sometimes a girl will be still quiet, but if it quacks, its a girl. 

The drake feathers will come in more like 8 - 12 weeks old, along with the different colors on the head (in most breeds the heads will be iridescent green, though solid colored drakes won't be as obvious).

You should be able to see the curly tail feather in the top picture and three of the ducks in the bottom are drakes. You can't see the tail on the right hand drake, but you can see the male colors of the green head. The Khaki Campbell in the middle has the darker head and the curly tail. Hopefully this will be helpful when the time comes!

I guess I'm going to have to video my ducks quacking and my drakes "rasping" or whatever it is they do. So easy to tell apart once you hear them! I can't find a good video on all of Youtube to help!


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## CAjerseychick (Aug 11, 2013)

thx guys -
GrannyCarol I can see the curly tail feather (none of them are at that point, past or present batch).. but thanx though-- and PLEASE a video of the quack--

have yet to hear a quack and with 12+ 8 (20) straight run they CANT ALL be males right?... (the first 8 were killed though)... just this whistling noise....


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## Shore Farming (Jan 9, 2014)

Our five runners were sexed female by the hatchery. Their tales are turned up a bit but they aren't feathered out yet. These girls still chirp - no quack yet. I thought I read the males are the loud ones! So happy I have 5 girls - whoops :bash: or maybe it is because we have two chickens with them as part of the flock!


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

How old are they Shore Farming? 

You won't know much until 4 - 6 weeks by voice. I can hear it a bit earlier, but I've had a bit of practice to know what to listen for. There is a certain "chortle" a happy female duck makes when she's eating something she likes that even the babies will start to make before they quack. I find it hard to tell who is making that noise in a group though and they don't make it if you separate them out, they aren't happy. 

Male ducks are much quieter than the females. The typical noisy duck quack is only made by the females.


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## Shore Farming (Jan 9, 2014)

Carol - they are about 4-5 weeks old. I was just with them on the farm (home of my 90 year old in-laws) and it may be kind of a beginning quack if you listen closely. Not like a full baritone "Quack" with larger ducks but a form of young runner duck quack, perhaps. I moved them from my house to a barn stall with a chicken wire wall about a week ago. The mess they had been making was at a peak! They now have a 5 gallon waterer and can play all they want! Does anyone know if these girls will stay in high tensile perimeter fence (cattle and pigs - 5 acres and flat) or will they scoot under for the big ditches/water? Sorry - not trying to take over this thread! CAjerseychick - these ducklings were banded female by McMurray. They have very cute upturned tail feathers at this point. Mine are black, how about you?

Donna


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

Quacking does tend to start about 4 - 5 weeks old, so that's on target. The basic tail feathers will turn up on both sexes, its the very curly tail feather that says, "drake". 

I'm not sure what sort of fence you are talking about - my understanding of high tensile fence is several wires strung? What kind of gap are you talking about? Maybe pictures would help there. If they can scoot under, they probably will. My ducks seem to like exploring, though they are in a yard, not acreage. 

Edit: Ooops! I missed that they are Runners. They probably won't get as deep a voice as the larger birds, I noticed that wild Mallards have a much higher pitch to them. 

Sorry about being slow to get film of ducks, I'm really busy atm and have a bad cold. At this rate they'll be laying eggs before I get any film! lol


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

Shore Farming, what color are they? do you have pics of them? some color types can be sexed by bill color at a young age, if their color pattern looks anything like a wild mallard in any form they can be bill sexed at a few weeks old before quacks or feathers ever happen, if they are white or some other color then this method wont work,


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## CAjerseychick (Aug 11, 2013)

Shore Farming said:


> Sorry - not trying to take over this thread! CAjerseychick -
> 
> Donna



No worries Donna I am trying to learn all I can as I go about ducklings....

Our runners are one silvery white one ( I was told it would be fawn eventually), 3 light brown ones(2 with the poofs on their heads, they look hilarious but my daughter wanted them), and 2 black ones.
Also 4 "mallards or Roeun" as TSC doesnt mark the mallards in anyway and neither does the hatchery they got them from, and then just last week we added a Khaki campbell and one last little Swedish they had in the bin (we really wanted Swedish)....:runforhills:


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

If the "mallards or Roeun" ducklings are mallards, they'll be tiny and hyper. If they are Rouens, they'll be big and slow (like 2 - 3 times as big, larger than the Runners at the same age). If they were side by side at the same age, it'd be very easy to tell them apart. If you compare them to the Khaki at the age the Khaki is, mallards would be smaller and Roeuns much larger, if that helps?


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## CAjerseychick (Aug 11, 2013)

GrannyCarol said:


> If the "mallards or Roeun" ducklings are mallards, they'll be tiny and hyper. If they are Rouens, they'll be big and slow (like 2 - 3 times as big, larger than the Runners at the same age). If they were side by side at the same age, it'd be very easy to tell them apart. If you compare them to the Khaki at the age the Khaki is, mallards would be smaller and Roeuns much larger, if that helps?


Very good info, 
Sadly we are a victim of "chick" days-- our ducks are an assortment of 3 different weeks of stopping by our feedstore and TSC- and even those were different ages when we got them- the runners for ex, rangefrom about 5 weeks and the ones with the poofs on their heads look to be 2 weeks younger....
DH got the "mallards or Rouens" first but on the day they arrived at TSC, so they were dayolds, but 2 weeks before we got the Khaki and swedish (dayolds).... so they are all different ages- I guess I will keep and eye out as they grow, I get home tonight(late, late like 10pm) after being gone since Sat, and they grow fast so will take another look see...
(goat pen got built so we are designing a duck yard for every one YAY)...!


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## Shore Farming (Jan 9, 2014)

CAjerseychick - I will avoid TSC at all costs to avoid temptation to get more! I do love our runners and thought about some Rouens. I now have 15 chicks from a hatchery in my upstairs shower as a first stage (replaced the 5 runners and 2 barred rock chickens). That is enough for now. I am familiar with chickens but am not sure where the ducks will spend their nights when they are free ranging. Do you have a set up idea for them when they are mature? Shelter? We are building a chicken tractor but not sure if ducks will like it or could even use it. Would appreciate any ideas - BTW, we moved back east from San Clemente about 6 years ago. Loved the Sierras!


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## CAjerseychick (Aug 11, 2013)

Thanks all! Grannycarol! I looked at them last night.... welll they look like Ducks to me! I have no idea what shape and porportion is bulky or not (our last set were Pekins and swedish)... but I can say I may very well have "mallards or Roeun"! In fact one is much smaller that the others but it lacks the spots the others have its more of a solid dull black all over... I will try to get a pic up (cell phone photo app not wrking)....

also I hear a honking sound from the older (5 weeks) runners-- is that what you all mean by a beginning quack? They are all pretty noisy, frighten pretty easily (which is good I need them to have some wariness about them)...

ShoreFarming! 
well our set up is we have 2 acres and a little yard right behind our garage (about 800 ft squared) with our chicken coop opening into it... it also has alittle porch over hang over it so there is shelter - you step out of the back of the garage under this porch overhang so it is good sized. There is an oak tree in it for shelter and the back fence has a gap on the bottom the chickens use to exit into the 1acre side pasture, with a seasonal stream and a stand of scrub willows right up against the back fence-- so there is plenty of options for shelter...

AM SICK of stinky birds in the garage so the chicks (7 weeks and feathered) got put into the coop today.. and I am thinking ducklings tommorrow into the chicken yard-- I will put a light in a dog kennel for them and they can keep warm that way. There is a large 10 gallon water bowl out there in addition to a chicken waterer, so they should enjoy that. No rain predicted for a couple weeks and I am home for the next 4 days (then back to SF for work for a couple days) to supervise the transition. the youngest are only 1 week old but with ten 3 and 5 week olds to cuddle with they should be fine day temps are upper 70s nights high 40s to 50....
My main concern is that the dogs cant get into chicken yard, but they can get out, and dogs are new to ducks....


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

I'd shore it up so the ducklings can't get out. If you've a couple that are small, I'd also limit there area to keep them all pretty close to the light at first. Just do allow them water access outside, it'll be so much nicer! Be sure they can't play in water unless it is quite warm out and that they can easily walk out of the water. They can get waterlogged and chilled when they are little, but will be fine if its nice and warm out. 

What kind of fence do you have?


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## CAjerseychick (Aug 11, 2013)

GrannyCarol said:


> I'd shore it up so the ducklings can't get out. If you've a couple that are small, I'd also limit there area to keep them all pretty close to the light at first. Just do allow them water access outside, it'll be so much nicer! Be sure they can't play in water unless it is quite warm out and that they can easily walk out of the water. They can get waterlogged and chilled when they are little, but will be fine if its nice and warm out.
> 
> What kind of fence do you have?


Its good-- solid 4 inch welded wire (plus Pup is wearing the Tire when I leave for town Sat so he wont jump the fence or squeeze inside).. and cattle panel (whatever size those holes are) over the wooden back fence that has the holes to the side pasture (1 acre plus stream and scrub willow right up against that back fence)....

Its almost 80 the next few days, I can use the leftover roll of ag wire to build a seperate pen inside the chicken yard and hook up a lamp-- I figure there is only 2 one week olds and they can snuggle in with the 10 older ducks (am hearing alotta goose like Honking so hoping for some females in that set!)....

I just worry cause its kids spring break so I taking her into town with me late Sat- Tues...


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

If you mean the 2" by 4" welded wire, that won't keep smaller ducklings in. I'd run some 1" chicken wire around the bottom foot or so to keep the little ones corralled until they grow up and won't be able to just wander out. Ducklings are curious little critters. Even 1' high cardboard would keep the smaller ducklings in. I'm not sure how tight the Ag wire is. 

If it's in the 80's during the day, they'll be fine with the temperatures for sure. I'm assuming the ducklings have all been together, they will snuggle in if cold. 

That goose like honking is definitely your girls. I had one batch of 11 ducklings here of which.... 11 were female! No wonder I heard so much girlie noise! lol That was a shocker.


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## CAjerseychick (Aug 11, 2013)

GrannyCarol said:


> If you mean the 2" by 4" welded wire, that won't keep smaller ducklings in. I'd run some 1" chicken wire around the bottom foot or so to keep the little ones corralled until they grow up and won't be able to just wander out. Ducklings are curious little critters. Even 1' high cardboard would keep the smaller ducklings in. I'm not sure how tight the Ag wire is.
> 
> If it's in the 80's during the day, they'll be fine with the temperatures for sure. I'm assuming the ducklings have all been together, they will snuggle in if cold.
> 
> That goose like honking is definitely your girls. I had one batch of 11 ducklings here of which.... 11 were female! No wonder I heard so much girlie noise! lol That was a shocker.


Oh thanx thats what my daughter said, Mommy thats a quacking sound! so we def have some girls in that bunch.

Yes they all cuddle together they had a ball today and I set up a good fence - but you are right the 2 one week olds easily go through the wire, but they go right back to their flock ( i can run the chicken wire round the area tommorrow a bit tapped out at this point) I think they are going to be much happier in this are its twice the size of that brooder and they will have sun in the afternoons too! 

Here is some pics- they would huddle together out of fright everytime I aimed the camera--


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