There are many recommendations on how to distinguish a duck from a drake. Answers to this question can be found on the Internet, specialized magazines and from experienced poultry farmers. But still, when in practice you have to decide how to distinguish a duck from a drake, it becomes clear that there are not so many differences, especially in chicks. And in general, ducks, like all birds, do not have pronounced sexual dimorphism.

Ducks differ in their plumage by gender. Females have the most color gray, dim. Males sport elegant and bright plumage. Drakes have a crest on their necks, which consists of long, bright and beautiful feathers. Males also have a “beard,” which ducks lack.

The tail of ducks also indicates the gender of the bird: males have rounded feathers at the tip of the tail, while females have a straight tail.

The body weight of drakes is significantly higher than that of ducks. “Men” have a longer head and neck, a wider torso. Drakes have a wider forehead, which expands from the beak into a triangle. In ducks, the extension from the beak to the frontal bone is trapezoidal.

The problem is that the differences in size and proportions are sometimes subtle. In different housing conditions and with different feeding rations, both large females and small males are found.

Sometimes, to determine the sex of birds, it is enough to listen to them. The quack of a female is difficult to confuse with the whistling hiss of a drake.

Behavioral differences

Another criterion for distinguishing a duck from a drake is behavior. It should be noted that any methods provide no more than 80% guarantee.

Typically, drakes on the water, in flight or on a walk, let the females go ahead, while they themselves stay to the side and slightly behind. And only during the period of incubation of eggs, left without girlfriends, the males alternately let each other pass ahead.

Determining the sex of ducklings is more difficult. External differences appear at the age of 8-12 weeks. How to distinguish the sex of a duckling?

If you have a device for generating ultrasound, then experimentally you can select a frequency that will be attractive only to individuals of one sex. Ultrasound will scare off opposing representatives. When only same-sex birds gather near the source of ultrasonic radiation, they should be placed in a separate cage and marked in some way so as not to get confused in the future.

If you hold the duckling by the paws and turn it upside down, the duck will hang motionless, and the little drake will try to look around.

The largest, “pugnacious” and noisy duckling is the dominant male in the flock. It’s easier to “figure out” the rest of the “boys” in the pack. The future leader will constantly quarrel with them, drive them away from the feeders, not let them near the ducks, etc.

The difference in the behavior of birds is not sufficiently reliable, since in ducks, when kept in groups with an incorrect sex ratio, the formation of homosexual couples is possible. In this case, the dominant female behaves like a male, even to the point of imitating “male” behavior during mating. A similar picture is observed in drakes. If there are no external differences between males and females in a breed, sex determination based on behavioral characteristics may be erroneous.

Sexual characteristics

You can also identify a male individual in ducklings by the presence of a pseudopenis - folds measuring 3-4 millimeters in size. To detect it, lightly massage the edge of the bird's anus (cloaca). If nothing resembling a genital organ appears, this is definitely a duck. This interesting anatomical detail is observed only in ducks. In this way, one-day old young animals can be divided by sex.

The duckling is taken with the left hand and held with its head towards itself. Use your fingers to open the cloaca, turning it out from the side of the abdomen, where the genital organ is located. Drakes will have a rudimentary spiral-shaped penis measuring 1.5-2 mm. In ducks, only flat spherical growths will be visible.

This so-called Japanese method gives an accuracy of 98 - 100% in determining the sex of ducks - depending on the experience of specialists.

Knowing the sex of the ducks that are on your farm allows you to more rationally distribute feed and plan the future number of poultry.

Proper gender selection provides many benefits to the farmer. For example:

• males are less susceptible to diseases and have more stable immunity;
• females are calmer, less conflict-ridden, and less likely to want to fly;
• if there are enough drakes in the herd (the optimal ratio of females to males is 4:1), it will be possible to obtain many more eggs for offspring;
• The live weight of the male is significantly greater than that of the female. If the farm is focused on obtaining meat, the number of males in the flock should be increased;
• to select the best representatives of the herd for breeding next year, it is also necessary to be able to determine the sex and arrange 3-4 females per drake.

There are many reasons why you need to know how to distinguish a duck from a drake; these may simply be the personal wishes of the owner, but still, to properly conduct business in the poultry yard, the farmer needs the ability to distinguish a duck from a drake.

Video “Ducks and drakes on the river”

In the video you can see ducks and drakes on the pond; external differences are clearly visible.

Many people have seen ducks and drakes on lakes, ponds and other bodies of water at least once in their lives.

At the same time, you can meet both nondescript birds with brown feathers and beautiful representatives with gray-white plumage and a green head.

Due to the different colors, males and females can be distinguished, but this is far from the only difference.

General information

The duck family includes more than one hundred various types, of which more than thirty genera are easy to find in Russia.

Among these species is a subfamily of true ducks. It is divided into another 5-8 subgroups, whose representatives have the most characteristic features.

These include ducks:

1. Earthen ones.
2. Divers.
3. River.
4. Shiny.
5. Streams.
6. Marine.
7. Steamboat ducks.
8. Savki.

Domestic ducks are descended from the mallard or mallard wild duck species. They are bred in many countries and are traditionally divided into:

1. meat;
2. egg;
3. meat and eggs.

Important: Only females are called ducks; males are called drakes.

Ducks are small birds with short neck th and membranes. They have a variety of feather colors, many have a so-called “mirror” spot on their wings of blue color, which helps to recognize “your” species.

Coloration depends on gender and is expressed during the breeding season, when males become brighter than females and attract attention. In summer and autumn, molting occurs; during the latter, due to the change of primary wings, ducks cannot fly for some time.

They feed on aquatic plants and seeds, and do not mind eating mollusks and insects. The weight of poultry is up to 3-4 kg for drakes and about 3-3.5 kg for females. The latter are capable of producing up to 250 eggs per year; wild species are more “modest”. Mainly females hatch the eggs, and they also raise the children.

Why do you need to know the differences?

To correctly count birds in household the owner needs to know exactly the difference between females and males.

This will help not only to determine their number, but also to choose a farming model and form the most optimal ratio of individuals. It is important to remember that:

1. Males are more aggressive and conflict-ridden, more likely to want to fly away and have good tolerance to diseases.
2. Males weigh more than females - this is important when trading duck meat.
3. For good reproduction, there should be 3-4 females per male.

Differences between two individuals may lie in external signs and behavior. It is somewhat difficult to recognize the sex of ducklings, since they do not yet have any clear signs.

Gender characteristics (click to enlarge)

There are 4 ways to recognize the gender of ducks:

1. External differences

External differences include:

1. Plumage: in males it is brighter, especially in the spring, during the mating season; drakes also have a small “beard”;

Note: In the household, identical white birds are often found, which are impossible to distinguish.

1. Females look smaller and more graceful than males: they have a round head, a shorter neck, and less developed paws. Their weight reaches 3 kg, the weight of males reaches 5 kg - such data is given for the “Favorite” breed;
2. The tail of drakes is rounded, while that of ducks is sharp;
3. The drake's beak has a small growth on top;
4. The duck's forehead is narrow, the entire head with the beak is shaped like a trapezoid; in the drake, the shape is more like a triangle (expands from the beak);
5. They differ in growths on their heads: in the drake they are larger in size.

It is important to remember that this method is not reliable, since the external structure of the bird can change greatly due to diet and other reasons.
For example, a lack of nutrition can lead to a smaller male, and an excess of it can lead to an enlarged female.

1. Japanese method

Recognized as more truthful Japanese version medical recognition based on differences in the reproductive system. Drakes have a so-called pseudopenis - a small fold about 3-4 mm in size. To find it, you need to take the bird into left hand, turn her head towards you and open the anus with your right fingers, then turn her. In females it will be possible to find flat spherical growths, in males - a rudiment of a spiral-shaped penis.

1. Differences in Behavior

This method is more suitable for experienced poultry farmers who can distinguish the behavioral characteristics of their pets. These include:

1. Aggression of dominant males: it manifests itself in frequent fights for females and food;
2. When a flock gathers together, the females usually go in front, and the males are located laterally to the side;
3. Drakes hiss and whistle more often, and ducks quack.

It is important to remember that due to improper maintenance or care, the bird may develop homosexuality and begin to copy other people's behavior. For example, a dominant female will begin to fight or run away to the drakes, and a passive male will begin to attach himself to the opposite sex.

1. Differences in ducklings

While the ducklings are small, it is quite difficult to distinguish between females and males: the first external signs will begin to appear only at the age of 2-3 months. The most reliable method remains the Japanese method described above.

In second place is the ultrasonic method. To do this, you need to purchase an ultrasonic device and, selecting the frequency, monitor when the ducks come running and when the drakes come running.

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1. Folk way

Folk remedies suggest monitoring the behavior of ducklings in a flock: like adults, drakes are more pugnacious. An interesting option is the following method: you need to grab the duckling by the paws and lower it upside down. The boy will begin to struggle, the girl will remain hanging.

Accurate determination of the sex of birds will help to correctly distribute food and choose the direction of development of the farm. It is important to remember that each breed of bird has its own differences, which may not coincide with the general ones. You can learn about them from a video or by comparing photos of drakes and ducks.

How to distinguish a duck from a drake, watch expert advice in the following video:

Who doesn't love tasty and large homemade eggs? Or dietary meat that does not contain GMOs and other chemicals? Nowadays, many people have begun to strive to maintain themselves in excellent physical fitness, compliance proper nutrition and eating only environmentally friendly products. Also, the majority comes to the decision to engage farming instead of work or just for fun.

That's all today more people are keen on raising ducks at home. And this is quite understandable, since many people want not only to receive home-made eggs and meat, but also to be sure that this is an environmentally friendly product. And then the question arises before them: how can one distinguish a female from a male? How much do you need to know before you start breeding?

Since duck and drake are representatives of the same species, it is quite difficult to distinguish them. By what principles can one distinguish between a female and a male? For a person with experience in hunting them or for someone who breeds them, it will not be difficult to find the differences. But what about someone who is still new in this regard and has only recently started breeding or hunting? Let's start by learning more about birds.

A little about the duck family

The duck includes many different species of birds from a huge family. They have many different names:

• river;
• diving;
• shelducks;
• warblers;
• musky;
• mergansers;
• steamer ducks, etc.

In Russia alone there are about 30 species. Ducks for the most part are medium-sized birds with short necks and plumage of different colors. A typical representative of the duck class is the domestic duck. “Girl” birds can gain up to three and a half kilograms total weight. According to the number of eggs they lay, they not far behind chickens, bringing almost 250 eggs annually.

Domestic duck breeds include meat, egg and meat-egg. Not only Russian farmers, but also farmers from other countries are engaged in their breeding. Every day they become no less popular than, for example, chickens. They have a number positive qualities: they have excellent quality and size eggs, and the meat is considered even lower in calories and is in great demand among people with diseases gastrointestinal tract. For a number of reasons, some people are required to follow a diet, someone just wants to reset excess weight, while someone was prescribed a strict diet by their attending physician, and for them duck meat is a real salvation.

Differences between adults

The main differences, naturally, are in appearance. The size of birds varies depending on gender. The drake is slightly larger than the duck and has a wider body. They can weigh about four kilograms. They are also distinguished from females by the brightest color, which is quite understandable. Since the duck’s task is to procreate, hatch eggs, and for this it needs to hide in the reeds so that hunters or predators cannot notice it. As for males, they can attract attention with their bright appearance, this helps in seducing ducks. The tufts on the heads of “boys” are very noticeable and have a pearly green color.

The neck of a drake is wider, while that of a duck looks much more graceful because it has a thinner and longer appearance. The female head has a rather round shape, while the male head is oblong. It is also interesting to look at the tail of the “boy”; here you can notice a funny feature: in this place he has a few feathers growing, which are connected in a kind of ring. But the “girl” does not have such a distinctive feature. In addition, it is worth paying attention to the beak. At the drake there is a growth on the top of the beak, which the female representative does not have.

The next point is character, which is expressed in many ways. When flying, as well as swimming, the duck is in front of the male, and the drake, like a true gentleman, lets the lady go ahead, while he himself remains behind. From a security point of view, everything is quite understandable, since the male covers the duck with his body and carefully monitors that the enemy does not appear on the horizon. But you shouldn’t rely only on this principle. Because if it’s breeding season, the female will incubate the eggs. And it is likely that the two birds that are flying or swimming are two drakes.

To determine what gender a bird is, it is not always necessary to see it; sometimes it is enough just to listen. You just need to perform some action that will make her scream. The duck quacks loudly, without fear or embarrassment, but the drake only hisses and whistles. An experienced hunter, having heard these sounds, will immediately understand who is hiding from him in the reeds.

Differences between chicks

With adults everything is simple, but for chicks less than 2–3 months old all these differences are not typical. They appear much later than this age. What to do if the bird is still small and external signs no differences yet?

Everyone knows that you can tell kittens apart by looking under their tails. The drake has one rare difference that many birds do not have - a pseudopenis. It has the ability to turn outward. You need to tighten the anus using the thumb on your left hand and the index finger on your right; Place your thumb on the end of the cloaca and point it upward. The penis should appear outward, it looks like a fold four millimeters in size. The absence of all of the above means that it is a duck. For those who are afraid of this procedure, there is a simpler way; just point the tail towards the back and, in most cases, everything becomes clear.

You can take note of one more method. It is necessary to take the duckling and thoroughly palpate its chest. To do this, follow the diagram below.

1. Tilt the head slightly, point the beak upward, but keep the neck straight.
2. Place your thumb on the cervical vertebrae.
3. Using your index finger, press lightly on the bird's chest.

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After performing these manipulations, you can feel the triangle that is formed by the bones of the collarbone. You need to try and feel a four-millimeter tubercle in the center of the triangle, which begins to move when you work with the beak. The male has this tubercle, but the female does not.

By following these tips, people entry level breeding or hunting will be able to easily determine the sex of the bird. This will be very useful in life when buying and choosing a bird. All the tips given on how to distinguish a duck from a drake are quite simple and can be easily used at any time.

Today, more and more people adhere to proper nutrition, giving preference to environmentally friendly clean products. Many people are engaged in breeding ducks in order to obtain dietary meat, home-grown eggs that do not contain GMOs and many other chemicals. It is very important to be able to determine the sex of the bird. Considering that the duck and the drake are representatives of the same species, not every beginner in poultry farming will be able to distinguish them. In fact, this is quite easy to do if you know about the sex differences in birds. Poultry farmers and hunters resolve this issue very quickly and accurately.

Why distinguish ducks

All experienced farmers manage their farms, always separating poultry by gender. A number of points are taken into account:

• Female ducks are completely non-confrontational, unlike drakes.
• Males are endowed strong immunity and are more resistant to various diseases.
• Males gain weight much faster, and it is greater than that of females.
• When breeding poultry, it is necessary to maintain the ratio - there must be one drake for every four ducks. This is very important condition for egg productivity.

Differences in appearance

First of all, you can distinguish ducks by their plumage. Like many other birds, the female does not have a distinct bright color; her feathers are gray and dull in color. But males are very naturally gifted beautiful outfit, which helps them attract individuals of the opposite sex. The rather long crest on the drake’s head can be seen even from a distance. Some domestic breeds are characterized by a single color color - males and females can be completely white.

Another way to distinguish a drake is a bright wart on the beak, which is absent in females. You can also recognize it by its neck - in males it is wide, while in ducks it is thinner and more delicate.

The head of female individuals is smaller and has a rounded shape, but in drakes it is oblong.

The tail also has significant differences. If you look closely, you can see that in drakes it has several feathers curled upward, while in females it is completely straight. This feature appears already from the third month.

The size of the birds is also important. The male individual is almost twice as large. If a female weighs about three kilograms, then even 5 kg is not the limit that can be achieved with good care drake. The photo below demonstrates this difference very clearly.

However, it also happens that due to diet or living conditions, it is not always possible to determine the sex of ducks based on the characteristics listed above. It happens that females grow much larger than drakes.

How to distinguish females from drakes by behavior

There are some features in the actions of birds that directly depend on their gender. There will definitely be a dominant male in the pack. After observing him, you can easily identify the rest of the males, because it is they who he will not allow to the feeding trough and will constantly fight with them. And to the females, on the contrary, he devotes his Special attention, skips forward. Regardless of whether the ducks are in the air or on the water, the female is always in front, and the drake is on a short distance ensures her safety.

The difference between a male and his voice

You don't have to see the bird to determine its gender. It's enough to just listen. 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, without embarrassment. The drake emits only a dull hissing and whistling.

Difference in genitals

Based on all the characteristics listed above, it is possible to distinguish a female from a male after the chicks reach at least three months of age. They are uncharacteristic for day-old ducklings. The male can be identified by their genitals. The drake has a very rare difference, absent in most other birds - it is a pseudopenis, capable of turning outward. Using it, you can find out the sex of the bird within a day after hatching. It is enough to stretch the skin around the cloaca a little and direct it towards the tummy. If a spiral-shaped penis only two millimeters long appears, then it is a drake, and in the female only spherical growths will be visible.

If you do this procedure very early stages, and even for the first time, 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 the sex can be determined with confidence.

How to select ducks for breeding

Both drakes and females must have good condition health, meet all the standards of a certain type: size, weight and color of feathers. Various body deformations are not allowed in breeding ducks.

In most breeds, sexual maturity does not occur until six months of age. They start laying eggs, then hatch them and

Not only the living conditions of ducks, the quality of food, but also the ratio of females and males affects the quality of eggs. Therefore, the ability to distinguish between a duck and a drake is one of the most basic skills that a novice poultry farmer must acquire.

Many duck breeds are difficult to separate into males and females. If you don’t delve into how to distinguish a duck from a drake by specific characteristics, it will be extremely difficult to determine. It will be especially difficult to identify the sex of small individuals. To define there are character traits not only in appearance, but also in behavior.

Briefly about the differences between adult ducks by external characteristics

It is very important to learn how to determine the sex of ducks, as this will help to select the desired ratio of females and males in the flock. Of course, the required ratio depends on the purpose of the poultry: for the purpose of obtaining meat, for egg production or breeding a new generation. Anyway correct selection will lead to increased productivity.

What external characteristics distinguish male ducks:

• bright plumage, more saturated than that of females;
• large parameters;
• the frontal bone is wide and triangular in shape;
• a crest is visible on the neck;
• large beak;
• feather beard.

The frontal part of the male immediately widens sharply from the beak, but the female duck has smooth features, and the frontal part has a trapezoidal shape.

Note! It is also worth knowing the name of a male duck - a drake. As a rule, they have larger parameters, but due to cultivation at home, exceptions are possible. Sometimes drakes grow smaller than ducks. This is due to the conditions and characteristics of the selected diet.

The main differences between musk duck drakes and females

Muscovy duck is popularly called musk duck. This breed is significantly different in external features from its other fellow tribesmen: a wide chest, powerful wings and limbs.

The name of the breed comes from the word “musk” for a reason. It is believed that representatives of this species in mature age They begin to secrete oil through their pores with a specific musky odor.

How to distinguish a duck from a drake

Musk birds are popular among poultry farmers for a number of reasons:

• pleasant delicate taste of meat, which is considered dietary;
• the possibility of using eggs in cooking;
• the Indian duck does not need to arrange a reservoir on the site;
• the birds are homebodies, which minimizes the risk of losing a member of the flock due to sudden departure.

External differences between drakes and ducks

Basic external differences male and female individuals of this breed do not differ from other species and are as follows:

• Size. A male duck is always larger than a female duck. The difference in weight can range from ½ kg to 1 kg. The drake's body is much wider, and the chest is more developed.
• Feather color. Drakes look more noticeable against the background of females. And this is not without reason, since the most important thing for a female is caring for and protecting her offspring, and bright color can only attract ill-wishers. Males have a very bright color that attracts females.
• Features of the neck structure. Females have a graceful and prominent neck, while in drakes this part of the body is more developed: strong and wide.

Upon reaching Muscovy ducks At the age of three months, all of the listed external characteristics begin to appear, and it will be possible to determine their gender at first glance.

Important! Another very noticeable feature is the skin of the birds. In males it is coarser and has a rich bright red color. It even hangs slightly over the eyes of males.

How to distinguish females from drakes by behavior

When determining the sex of birds, it is worth paying attention to their behavior. The most important difference here is that the “husband” of the duck always lets his companion go ahead. This applies to both walking on water and flying. The drake stays behind or a little to the side. During the period when females hatch eggs, males alternately let each other pass ahead.

In addition, it is worth noting that drakes behave quite aggressively in a flock. They fight with other males for food or for the attention of females.

It is easy to isolate drakes during the breeding season. They acquire new plumage and treat their chosen ones with special care. New signs may appear that were previously invisible. These include a beard or mustache. To attract the attention of females, the drake constantly revolves around them and starts conflicts with other males. Mating season ducks often pass with songs and dances.

Note! Not only the male can initiate the creation of a new “cell”. Sometimes females also push drakes to mate.

Of particular importance when determining the sex of ducks are the sounds that these birds make. Females have a loud voice, but males, as a rule, hiss. It is not for nothing that female ducks are endowed with a loud voice, because thanks to it they gather ducklings in a heap. But it is extremely rare to hear any sound from drakes.

Important! If the feeding regimen is incorrect and unfavorable conditions residence, same-sex couples can sometimes form. In such unions, the dominant female completely repeats the behavior of any male.

Disadvantages of determining sex by the appearance of a bird

Of course, the method of determining the sex of a bird by appearance has a number of disadvantages. And this is not surprising, since each breed has its own characteristics and distinctive features. This applies to such features as the size and muscles of birds, color and plumage, and behavior.

Also, do not forget that the listed features may change depending on the conditions of keeping the birds. For many poultry keepers, the color of the opposite sexes is not different at all, and the size of the males is much smaller than that of the female.

To accurately determine the sex of ducks, you need to combine several characteristics into one. Only an experienced livestock breeder can carry out such work.

Only an experienced livestock breeder can distinguish

How to determine the sex of a duckling

If everything is clear with determining the sex of adult ducks, then how to determine the sex of seemingly absolutely identical ducklings is not. This is very difficult, since ducklings have no external differences.

How can you distinguish ducklings by sex using the most common method:

• You need to very carefully take the chick by the paws and place his head down. In this position, the female will hang calmly and motionlessly, but the male duck will twist his head with all his might, trying to look at the space.
• Even small males quite aggressively try to constantly get into a fight and, in general, behave very actively.
• At a very young age (1 day), you can try to determine the sex based on anatomical features. The drake is characterized by a spherical expansion in the lower part of the larynx. It is located at the beginning of the chest.

Little duckling

Thanks to the timely (early) determination of sexual characteristics, it becomes possible to fully develop and form the correct livestock. But using one method is not always enough. Experienced poultry farmers use 3 methods at once: the above-described palpation of the larynx, observation of the behavior of small ducklings and the Japanese method.

The latter method was developed in Japan back in the 20th century. A proportion of small day-old ducklings, goslings and chicks is suitable for it. The method consists of visually examining the cloaca and identifying the genital tubercle on the inner wall, which differs significantly in both shape and size in females and males. Currently, this method is particularly popular all over the world and is called ventsexing.

Important! The use of this method by inexperienced farmers risks injuring the small chick or contracting intestinal infections.

Ventsexing is carried out on ducklings aged from 6 to 16 hours. By this time they are already drying well, the umbilical cord is healed. A longer period leads to a gradual smoothing of sexual characteristics.

To determine the sex of a duckling using the Japanese method, you need to follow these steps:

1. take the chick and place it in your left hand, pointing it towards you;
2. give a tummy massage;
3. very carefully with your fingers right hand open the anus and turn it out;
4. the female has spherical growths in this place, but the boy is characterized by the presence of a rudimentary penis.

This method can accurately determine the sex of a bird, but it is only suitable for experienced poultry farmers. After all, the technology requires extreme accuracy and experience in conducting inspections.

Features of sex determination in different ducks

For some duck breeds, the listed differences do not always help determine the sex. Especially it concerns external characteristics birds.

Breed favorite

Most often, ducks of the Favorite breed have dull colored feathers, while drakes are brighter and more noticeable. They are characterized by a bright color and a crest of long beautiful feathers. In addition, males have a long beard. Their sizes are much smaller than females. You can also distinguish the sex by the back of the bird: the curled tail, which always catches the eye, indicates that it is a male.

When determining the sexual characteristics of favorites, you should also pay attention to the following signs:

• behavioral characteristics of animals: during walking, males of any breed let the duck go ahead, while they themselves remain behind;
• the females in the herd behave calmly and restrained, but the males are active and start conflicts with other males;
• female ducks are less susceptible to diseases, but males have less stable immunity;
• in flight, the female stays ahead of the male.

Of course, the listed characteristics cannot exactly guarantee that a certain representative of the favorite breed belongs to one gender or another. Accurate distribution will require the experience and knowledge of the farmer.

Domestic ducks

Bashkir

An adult duck of the Bashkir breed has a dense, elongated body, which is covered with feathers and down. Paws are short, strong, colored Orange color. The chest is concave forward, the head is located on a fairly short neck. The beak of Bashkir females is flattened and has a yellowish tint.

Small Indo-ducklings have absolutely the same appearance regardless of gender: brown color for the colored breed and white-yellow color for the white breed. Therefore, at this age it is not possible to determine gender by external signs.

At the age of 4.5 weeks, the drake's plumage begins to acquire a sulfur-gray hue. The female remains brown. Therefore, a male can be distinguished not only by its large parameters, but also by its distinctive bright color. Thanks to these characteristics, Peking ducks can also be distinguished.

By color

But how to distinguish a Bashkir duck from a drake? white, because the differences in appearance They dont have? Here you can only rely on size and voice. Adult ducks quack loudly, but the male only makes hoarse sounds in response.

Mandarin duck

For mandarin ducks, sex determination is not difficult. Males can be seen even from afar, as their plumage is particularly bright. Females have less bright plumage, but despite this, they look very elegant and beautiful.

For such a significant difference, there is a certain period - marriage. Upon completion, the males lose their bright color and look less provocative.

For your information! During molting, all male mandarin ducks flock together and try to hide from prying eyes.

Mallard

The difference between a mallard and any other duck is that it is able to adapt to different weather conditions. In addition, this species has the largest size.

The duck and drake are significantly different from each other, so many do not consider them to be the same species. It is these inexperienced poultry farmers who are looking for an answer to the question: what is the name of a male duck of this breed. Therefore, there will be no problems with determining gender:

• The plumage of the female mallard has a discreet brown color, allowing it to camouflage itself in wildlife. The belly has a more saturated color. The beak is olive or dark gray, and the legs are red.
• Male mallards look more colorful. The head and neck are dark green. There is also a prominent border visible on the neck. The breast is chestnut, the beak is olive, and the legs are orange.

The little ducklings are all the same and have a discreet brown color.

Determining the sex of a duck is most often carried out based on external and behavioral characteristics. But this method is not always effective. After all, such data depends on the breed of birds, their living conditions and nutrition. For ducklings, this method is not at all effective, since at birth they are all the same. To distinguish a drake from a duck, you will need experience and knowledge about these birds, which is briefly presented above.