Determining the sex of a bird is quite difficult, especially without knowledge and experience in this area. The same applies to waterfowl. Many varieties of ducks do not have pronounced features that can quickly and accurately indicate gender. To help the novice poultry breeder, experts have compiled a number of special characteristics with which you can distinguish a duck from a drake. Let’s consider them in more detail in the article.
Appearance
It is worth noting that for poultry breeding it is very important to distinguish between ducks and drakes. This knowledge is necessary for the competent distribution of the flock and the number of birds of both sexes in it. This indicator will affect egg production and productivity in the future.
Differences between males and females can be both significant and minimal. Males have the following external features:
- the dimensions of males are larger compared to females, they have a large and massive beak;
- forehead shape – triangle;
- plumage of expressive and bright color;
- a little plumage is collected in the beard area;
- the neck is adorned with a miniature crest of feathers.
Wild ducks have the following external features:
- the plumage is monotonous and monochrome, in dull and muted tones;
- voluminous whorls on the tail of birds are absent;
- the shape of the forehead is a trapezoid.
According to experts, in rare cases, ducks can be larger than drakes. It depends on the food and certain conditions of detention. In connection with this fact, it is not worth determining gender only on this basis. This is an unreliable option.
Character
Another parameter that should be followed when distributing waterfowl by sex is their character. As experienced ornithologists have noticed, males almost always stay away from females. They let the ducks go ahead as they move.
As for activity, drakes show it more than ducks. Males are noisy, mobile and pugnacious. In nature, males often arrange fights among themselves. These are common character traits that are necessary to demonstrate power and dominance. Drakes demonstrate their superiority in the flock to attract the attention of females and secure their position. Signs of a drake leader are shown in relation to all other males.
Ducks are calmer and more friendly. Conflicts between females are quite rare. In addition to a peaceful disposition, ducks are less active, they fly much less often.
In some flocks, sex distribution may be disrupted, and therefore females can behave like males, demonstrating strength and activity. The following ratio is considered normal – one female for 4 drakes.
Methods
There are several ways in which you can distinguish a duck from a drake.
- Sex characteristics. Using this technique, you can most accurately determine the sex of a one-day-old bird. To separate girls from boys, you need to put the birds on a flat surface with their backs down. Next, you should carefully move the skin near the cloaca, lifting it to the stomach. Females have two small balls in this area, while drakes have developed or underdeveloped organs.
- Ultrasound. To determine the sex using modern equipment. Special devices that emit a sound of a certain frequency will help to separate the birds by gender. When using this technique, the device is turned on at a certain frequency, after which the behavior of birds is carefully observed. Birds of the same sex, gathered near the device, are collected and placed in a hotel cage.
- Vote. Another way to help deal with the floor is special sounds. Both sexes are different. Males often make hisses and whistles, while females are distinguished by loud sounds. A common sound (quacking) is made by females. This is the simplest method, but it cannot boast of reliability. The voices of birds may differ depending on the breed.
Variety of breeds
Each species of waterfowl has its own characteristics that will help determine gender. Experts have identified the most common and basic features of various breeds.
wild birds
The most accurate and noticeable method of separating birds by gender is plumage color. In the ornithological field, males have a richer and more attractive coloration to attract the attention of the opposite sex. Ducks are covered with feathers of brown, gray and brown colors, and drakes are decorated with bright blue and green plumage (head and part of the wing). Bright overflows are clearly visible.
As for weight, the weight of ducks varies from 1,5 to 2 kilograms, while the average for males is 2 kilograms.
Bashkir ducks
Male individuals belonging to the above species are distinguished by expressive whorls. They decorate the birds in the tail area. The females have straight feathers. This visual feature is clearly visible and will help novice poultry farmers determine the sex of birds.
Favorite
According to experts, the main difference between birds of this breed is weight. The weight of males is approximately 5 kilograms, while the maximum weight of females reaches only 3 kilograms. Also, external characteristics are used to determine gender. Ducks are characterized by a neat and smooth body structure. The males have an elongated neck and an angular head, the paws are large and remarkably developed.
Musk breed
This species of domestic waterfowl attracts attention with its unusual appearance. Males are easy to distinguish due to the bright scarlet growth in the form of a bump, which is located above the beak. They are also decorated with red spots that stand out noticeably against the background of plumage. Girls also have a growth, but much smaller in size and orange in color. Spots of the same color are around the eyes.
Another distinguishing feature is the size. As with other breeds, males are larger.
Beijing breed
In this case, an external assessment of the plumage will not help determine the sex. It is identical for both sexes. White plumage completely covers the birds, from beak to tail. To determine the sex of this breed, experts recommend referring to the weight of the ducks. The average for males is 3,9 kilograms, while females weigh about 3,5 kilograms.
As mentioned above, weight is not the most reliable way to determine the sex of a bird. There is one more way – the appearance of the tail. Males are decorated with characteristic curls, they are not found in females. This visual feature is found in several breeds.
These are the most common breeds of waterfowl that can be raised by domestic farmers. Before you breed a particular breed, be sure to familiarize yourself with the correct conditions of detention.
Determining the gender of ducklings
Many novice poultry farmers are interested in ways to determine the sex of ducklings. There are several techniques that will help to cope with the task. How to find out the sex of chicks whose age is a day or a week is described below.
- The first one is behavior. This is a very simple and widely used method. You need to take the duckling by the paws and observe its behavior by turning the bird upside down. Concern and nervousness speaks of belonging to the male sex. They begin to spin and turn their heads, and the females hang calmly and motionless.
- There is another variation in behavior. Boys of many breeds have a pugnacious disposition and often fight among themselves. Starting at a young age, ducklings pull out feathers and peck at each other.
- Body structure and certain anatomical features are accurate signs in determining the sex of a bird. Special marks can be found near the larynx. In males, in this area, at the top of the chest, there are formations in the form of balls. They are easily palpable.
The Importance of Sex and Separation
Every poultry house that has started working in the field of breeding birds should know the need to determine the sex of birds. The designation of this trait is important not only from the point of view of reproduction. If you decide to start breeding waterfowl, be sure to read the following recommendations.
- As mentioned above in the article, the best ratio of males and females in a flock is considered to be 4: 1. It can be difficult to achieve this indicator exactly, but if you want to increase the volume of eggs, it is highly desirable to approach this ratio as much as possible.
- If you are going to raise birds for meat, you should keep more males in the house. The fact is that at the end they give more product.
- Another reason why it is desirable to increase the number of male representatives in the pack is immunity. Males have better health and are less susceptible to various diseases.
- Be aware of differences in character. Ducks have a calmer and more assiduous disposition. In this regard, it is necessary to organize a sufficient number of special poultry houses (perches) for maintenance. Birds should be comfortable. This is a prerequisite for the normal development of birds.
Knowledge of the sex of birds and a competent ratio of both sexes is necessary not only for the quality of meat or the number of eggs received. This information is also needed to maintain a proper eating schedule. Feed for both sexes may differ in composition.
Expert opinion
Novice poultry farmers may find it difficult to determine the sex of birds, however, the methods described above will help to cope with the task. The methods are reliable and simple. To achieve the most accurate result, you need to try several methods and compare the data obtained.
In domestic poultry houses, given the artificially created conditions of maintenance and development, female individuals can adopt some features of males, and vice versa. Such changes are not uncommon. As a result, even experienced farmers cannot accurately determine the sex of the bird, which causes problems with raising ducks and organizing a flock.
Once the sex determination work has been carried out, it is recommended to mark the bird with a special label. In this case, it will be much more convenient to monitor the quantitative ratio of males and females.
How to distinguish a duck from a drake is described in the video below.
