The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Bionic on April 24, 2014, 10:13:03 am

Title: How old must a duck be before you can sex it?
Post by: Bionic on April 24, 2014, 10:13:03 am

I was thinking of buying some day old chicks but don't want a load of drakes.
I don't really care what type of ducks they are so if some are easier to sex than others than thats probably what I would look at buying.
If they can't be sexed early then I would probably buy older ducks.

Title: Re: How old must a duck be before you can sex it?
Post by: doganjo on April 24, 2014, 11:22:45 am

I go on teh voice method - girls start quacking pretty early, boys just squeak  :innocent:

Title: Re: How old must a duck be before you can sex it?
Post by: HesterF on April 24, 2014, 12:06:13 pm

I got 5/6 right with my cayugas at about 6 weeks last time - I just picked up each one and waited until they made a noise (couldn't tell who was making which noise when they were running around). If it was low, duck, if squeak, drake. But one drake must have managed a low quacky sort of noise because I thought I had 4:2 ducks to drakes and it turned out to be 3 all. Some of the silver appleyards I've had huge problems with - the first one I wasn't sure about for 6 months when his plumage finally settled down. I saw an ad on eBay the other day for silver appleyard hatching eggs that claimed they were autosexing which I'd never heard before but if she's managed to produce an autosexing strain, that might be worth investigating!

Title: Re: How old must a duck be before you can sex it?
Post by: roddycm on April 24, 2014, 01:29:09 pm

I sex them at 24 hours old, once they are running around and dating happily! But that's only because I sell the excess males as day olds. You can sex them at any age you want. It's incredibly easy to do. There are YouTube videos which are easier to follow than me explaining in words. Just look up vent sexing. No it doesn't hurt them and it saves you from rearing all those extra boys you then have no idea what to do with! Unless you're raising meat breeds in which case I guess it really doesn't matter!

Title: Re: How old must a duck be before you can sex it?
Post by: Bionic on April 24, 2014, 02:48:23 pm

Thanks Roddy, utube, here i come

Title: Re: How old must a duck be before you can sex it?
Post by: twizzel on April 24, 2014, 04:44:42 pm

I tried to vent sex mine... but failed! Watching with interest, mine are 4 weeks old now and feathers are coming through, still have no idea what they are though :-\

Title: Re: How old must a duck be before you can sex it?
Post by: AJ on April 24, 2014, 09:36:10 pm

I tried to vent sex too and failed miserably :dunce: