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jenn

ducks or drakes

having got these baby duckswho are now growing and how, there are 3 with pale beaks and one with a pinky beak. am I correct in that I have 3 ducks and l drake or is the other way around

jenn
Nell

what sort of ducks?
bodger

Beak colour probably doesn't come into it. At a fairly young age, female ducks really do quack and the drakes squeak.
Nell

photos are required
not that it is relevant i just love ducks
Millymollymandy

I have white ducks and they have mixed beak colours - they started off pinkish or yellowish (not sure what age they were when I got them, fully grown but not yet laying). Anyway the point of this post (if there really is one!) is just to say that after asking at the market for one male and 3 females, I ended up with 4 females! We went through thinking, is this one the male? (the pushiest one...he got called Donald then he laid an egg so became Donaldina Laughing ) then we decided that the smallest one must be the male so called him Daffy....... then he laid an egg too. Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy

So no, beak colour doesn't come into it, nor necessarily does size or pushiness. Laughing
Nell

if they are aylesbury's then ypu will find the females quack is infinately louder. also the male will have the curled tail feather.



same goes for calls

also the beak colour is because the pink beaks were bred into "show ducks". the yellow beaks are not Very Happy
bodger

The females quack is a definate quack while the drakes isn't . This is apparent way before the drake gets his curly tail. Its also a far more acurate method of sexing ducks, because unscrupulous traders have been known to remove the curly tails from their drakes before putting them into the sale pen. Rolling Eyes Rolling Eyes Rolling Eyes
BadgerFace

bodger wrote:
Its also a far more acurate method of sexing ducks, because unscrupulous traders have been known to remove the curly tails from their drakes before putting them into the sale pen. Rolling Eyes Rolling Eyes Rolling Eyes


Blimey, and I was thinking only horse dealers pulled tricks like that Shocked Sad
Millymollymandy

Helen M wrote:
also the beak colour is because the pink beaks were bred into "show ducks". the yellow beaks are not Very Happy

That's interesting to know (mine have I imagine a fair bit of Aylesbury in them), because the ones with the pinky beaks developed black spots on them, far more on one (called Freckles!) than the other. The ones with the yellow beaks don't have these imperfections. So I don't think mine would be quite show quality! Laughing
jenn

ta for replies, will listen hard, they are aylesburys by the way

jenn
wellington womble

Yum. Aylesbury duck.

I thought ducks and drakes was a game!
jenn

yes yum indeed if they are all drakes

jenn
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