Today, more and more people adhere to proper nutrition, preferring environmentally friendly products. Many are engaged in breeding ducks with the aim of obtaining dietary meat, domestic eggs that do not contain GMOs and many other chemicals. It is very important to be able to determine the gender of the bird. Given that duck and drake are representatives of the same species, not every novice in poultry farming will be able to distinguish them. In fact, this is quite simple if you know about the gender differences of birds. Poultry farmers and hunters solve such a problem very quickly and accurately.
Why distinguish ducks
All experienced farmers run their farm, always dividing the bird by gender. This takes into account a number of points:
- Female ducks are completely non-conflict, unlike drakes.
- Males are endowed with strong immunity and are more resistant to various diseases.
- Males gain weight much faster and more than females.
- When breeding poultry, it is necessary to maintain the ratio - four ducks must have one drake. This is a very important condition for egg productivity.
Differences in appearance
First of all, ducks can be distinguished by their plumage. Like many other birds, the female does not have a pronounced bright color, her feathers are gray, dull in color. But males are naturally gifted with a very beautiful outfit that helps them attract individuals of the opposite sex. A fairly long crest on the head of a drake can be seen even from afar. For some domestic breeds, one-color is characteristic - males and females can be completely white.
Another way to distinguish a drake is a bright wart on its beak, which is absent in females. It can also be recognized by the neck - in males it is wide, and in ducks it is thinner and more tender.
The head of females is smaller and has a rounded shape, but in the drakes it is oblong.
The tail also has significant differences. If you look closely, you can see that in the drakes on it several feathers are twisted upwards, and in the females it is completely straight. This feature is already apparent from the third month.
The size of the birds is also important. The male is almost twice as large. If the female weighs about three kilograms, then even 5 kg is not the limit that the drake can achieve with good care. The photo below shows this difference very clearly.
However, it also happens that because of the diet or conditions of detention, it is not always possible to determine the sex of ducks from the above signs. It happens that females grow much more drakes.
How to distinguish females from drakes by behavior
There are some features in the actions of birds that directly depend on their gender. In the pack, there will certainly be a dominant male. After observing it, you can easily determine the remaining males, because it is precisely them he will not allow to the trough and constantly fight with them. And the females, on the contrary, devote their special attention to skipping forward. Regardless of whether ducks are in the air or on water, the female is always in front, and the drake at a short distance ensures her safety.
Male voice difference
It is not necessary to see the bird to determine its gender. It’s enough just to listen. An experienced hunter knows how to distinguish a duck from a drake, even if the birds hiding in the reeds are not visible. The female quacks loudly, not embarrassed. The drake emits only a dull hiss and whistle.
Genital difference
According to all the signs listed above, it is possible to recognize a female individual from a male one after the chicks have reached at least three months of age. For diurnal ducklings, they are uncharacteristic. They can identify the male by the genitals. A very rare difference, which is absent in most other birds, is the drake - this is a pseudopenis that can turn out. By it you can find out the gender of the bird within a day after hatching. It is enough to stretch the skin a little around the cloaca, and direct it towards the tummy. If a spiral penis only two millimeters long appears, then this is a drake, and only spherical growths will be visible in the female.
If you do this procedure at a very early date, and even for the first time, then it will not always be possible to distinguish, since the genitals of the chicks are very small. After a few weeks, they become larger, and then you can confidently determine the gender.
