For poultry farmers, determining the sex of representatives of the duck population is important task. Without this, planning is impossible economic activity in this direction. The task can be complicated by the fact that in a number of duck breeds the differences between ducks and drakes are very weakly expressed in appearance. Fortunately, there are a number of signs by which identification of the sex of ducks is possible, including at an early age.

According to the structure of the reproductive system (Japanese method)

This identification method is considered the most reliable, and it is applicable to both immature young animals and adults - it is more difficult to apply to them due to the weight and activity of the bird. To determine gender using this method, follow these steps:

• the bird is placed in the palm, with the belly up;
• with the fingers of your free hand, open the bird’s cloaca and turn it inside out from the tail;
• the drake has a spiral-shaped penis, the female has flat round growths.

By external signs

External signs by which you can distinguish a drake from a duck are as follows:

• the plumage of males is often noticeably brighter than that of females, but this is not typical for all breeds;
• the drake's forehead is wider, more massive, its frontal bone expands in the form of a triangle (the female has a trapezoidal expansion);
• the male has a growth on his beak (this is not observed in all breeds);
• the tail of the drake has feathers twisted into a ring; ducks do not have such feathers;
• The neck of drakes is longer than that of females, in addition, males usually have a crest of feathers on their necks;
• males are approximately 1.5-2 times heavier than ducks.

By behavior

Another way to identify the sex of representatives of the duck population is to identify drakes and ducks by behavior. So, when a flock of ducks moves, the ducks move in front, the males stay behind and slightly to the side. In addition, males are distinguished by their pugnacity; they can conflict with other males for access to the feeder or for a female.

Old-fashioned method

Determining gender by voice is not a very reliable method. However, usually females quack often, their quack is sharp and loud. Drakes make sounds noticeably less often, mostly preferring to hiss, sometimes switching to soft whistling.
There is another one folk method gender determination. To do this, the duckling is carefully taken by the paws and lowered upside down. If it begins to actively break out, then it is considered to be a drake. If it hangs quietly, it is assumed to be a duck. About the reliability of this method there are different opinions, but it clearly does not provide 100% reliable identification.

Sexual identification of ducklings

It is advisable to determine the sex of the bird early, when it is still a duckling. The following methods are used for this:

• by the structure of the reproductive system (the method is described above, it can be applied to one-day-old chicks and it is the most reliable);
• by the behavior of a duckling held upside down by its paws (see description above);
• By characteristic behavior males (this method is also described above);
• ultrasonic method - by selecting the frequency of ultrasound generated by an ultrasonic installation, it is determined which ultrasound the males run to and which females.

It is very important to determine the sex of a duck in a timely manner - this allows you to optimize the maintenance of this poultry, increase its productivity, and plan the further development of the farm.

There are a number of methods for determining gender: some of them are quite reliable and at the same time simple. But you need to remember that there are breeds of ducks for which not all identification methods are suitable.

When a breeder purchases a poultry, he wants to accurately determine its sex. As a rule, the number of ducks is always greater than that of males. However, if the situation is simpler with chickens, then Indian ducks, how to distinguish a female from a male, photo - quite complex issue, requiring consideration. Although experienced poultry farmers cope with the task very quickly and accurately. But even novice poultry farmers can do this.

How can a poultry farmer tell the difference and find out the sex of an Indian duck?

There are a lot of differences that allow you to find out the sex of a bird. Although it is more difficult to distinguish ducklings than adults, it is still possible. So many poultry farmers first of all pay attention to external signs. In the photo you can also see what male and female individuals look like. Here are the main differences:

If you take a closer look at poultry, every breeder will certainly notice these and other differences. When you can accurately determine the sex, feel free to go to the market to buy turkey ducks, which are raised by farmers for meat.

Indian ducks and their main differences

Only at first glance it may seem that females and males are no different. But that's not true. For example, drakes have bright colored feathers, while inducks have gray feathers. Moreover, they have a beard, and in females it is almost invisible. There are also other signs that make it possible to determine the sex of a bird:

The presence of a red, rough fold of skin is evidence that this is a drake, and in females it is softer and lighter

1. Females have straight tails, while drakes have rounded feathers.
2. Long neck and a rather wide body - this is what distinguishes male representatives from Indian ducks.
3. Voice is another sign by which you can find out the sex of birds. Females quack more, but drakes make hissing or whistling sounds.
4. Drakes, as a rule, let females pass during the period.

Of course, almost all breeders strive to find out the sex by sex. The presence of a pseudopenis is proof that this is a drake. To detect it, it is recommended to massage the edge of the cloaca.

Indian ducks, how to distinguish a female from a male, video:

Indo-ducks, how to distinguish a female from a male, photos - those aspects that are of interest to novice poultry farmers and owners farms. External differences between individuals are in most cases clearly visible, so there are no difficulties in determining sex. To distinguish a drake from a female, it is also worth observing how the birds behave on a pond or in the yard.

Duck and drake are male and female of the same species, but it is often difficult to tell them apart. How to determine whether the person in front of you is a “boy” or a “girl”? Of course, if you are an experienced hunter or have been keeping household these beautiful birds, then you can immediately tell who is who. What should beginners do who are just beginning to learn the basics of poultry farming or are novice hunters? First, let's get to know our birds better.

Definition

Duck- this definition includes several genera of birds from the vast family of ducks. There are shelducks, diving ducks, white-headed ducks, steamer ducks, musk ducks, and mergansers. In total there are about 30 species in Russia alone. Ducks themselves are medium-sized birds. Have short neck and varied plumage colors. The most typical representative for us is the ordinary domestic duck. Females can reach a weight of up to 3.5 kilograms. And in terms of egg production, they are direct competitors of chickens - up to 250 eggs per year! Domestic breeds are distinguished by meat and egg, meat or egg. They are bred in many countries, including ours.

Drake- slightly different large sizes. In appearance, its body is wider. Males can reach a weight of 4 kilograms. As for appearance, unlike females, nature gave drakes a brighter color. This is understandable. Ducks must continue their race, hatch eggs, hiding in the reeds and not attracting special attention hunters and predators. But males can show off and charm the weaker duck sex, including due to their appearance.

Comparison

Sometimes, to distinguish one bird from another by gender, you don’t even need to see these birds. Listen. The female quacks in a full voice, without any embarrassment, while the drake tends to hiss with some whistling. This alone experienced hunter enough to understand who is waiting for him in the reeds.

If you do manage to meet birds, it is easy to determine the sex by appearance. Ducks are something gray and inconspicuous, but a drake can be immediately identified by its bright plumage. This is especially noticeable on the head due to its pearlescent green color. And the rest of the feathers are quite bright. It is worth noting that external differences are noticeable only from the age of 2-3 months. What to do before that?

Just like with kittens, you need to look under the tail. The drake has one interesting feature- a pseudopenis (by the way, most birds do not have this), which can turn outward. You need to stretch the outer part of the anus with your left thumb and index finger right hand. Place your thumb on the edge of the cloaca and move it upward. The genital organ should be exposed, looking like a fold of 3-4 millimeters. If this does not happen, there is a duck in front of you. If this operation fails, you can simply move the tail towards the back, sometimes this is enough.

From an anatomical point of view, the female has a more graceful neck, while the male has a wider neck.

The structure of a duck's head is closer to a round shape, while that of a drake is oblong.

To more clearly understand who is in front of you, pay attention to the tail. The drake has several feathers in this place that form a kind of ring. But the female is deprived of such decoration.

You can see the difference in behavior. In flight or on the water, the male always stays slightly behind the duck. However, it is worth making allowances for the season. If the female is sitting on the nest, then the pair of swimming or flying birds may simply be two drakes.

Conclusions website

1. The duck quacks loudly, but the drake prefers to hiss with a whistle.
2. The female individual is distinguished by a discreet gray color, while the male individual has a brighter color.
3. The duck does not have a pseudopenis, but the drake does.
4. The duck's neck is more graceful, while the drake's is wider.
5. The duck's head is much rounder than that of the drake.
6. The duck does not have a ring of feathers on its tail, but the drake does.
7. In behavior, the duck stays slightly ahead of the drake in flight or swimming.

Farmers, when raising livestock in their yard, are often interested in: how to accurately distinguish a duck from a drake of the Favorite breed? This curiosity is completely justified. After all, with the arrival of autumn, the breeder should cull unnecessary drakes, since keeping them in the household significantly increases costs, as well as the direct cost of the product itself.

External and behavioral differences that allow you to distinguish a duck from a drake

As a rule, the color of females is quite modest and has dull plumage. As for drakes, they have bright plumage, as well as a crest of beautiful and long feathers. Drakes have a very long beard, which cannot be said about ducks.
How to distinguish a duck from a drake if they are so similar?

The dimensions of drakes are much smaller than those of females. The presence of rounded feathers at the tip of the tail is evidence that the individual you are dealing with is directly male. They are also characterized by increased body weight compared to ducks of the Favorit breed. Drakes often make a whistling and very thin sound and are considered taller, which cannot be said about ducks.

The presence of rounded feathers at the tip of the tail is evidence that the individual you are dealing with is directly male.

Kira Stoletova

Every poultry farmer who raises ducks should know about the number of males and females that he keeps at home. But not everyone knows about the features of the difference itself. Every poultry farmer should understand the question of how to distinguish a duck from a drake, because without knowledge of these basic rules for breeding birds it will be impossible to calculate the reproductive potential. This information is especially important for beginners who are just starting their farming activities.

Why should you know the gender of ducks?

Determining the sex of ducks allows the poultry farmer to correctly form a flock. Separation and accounting is carried out based on large quantity factors and rules that are followed to achieve high egg production rates in the future. The male sex is more resilient, but always strives to fly. Ducks are always calm and spend all their time on the ground. Their ratio of 1 to 4 gives the best forecasts for further breeding and receiving benefits in the form of eggs.

If the main task of the farm is related to the production of meat, the calculation is carried out strictly based on the mass of individuals. Thus, boys are larger in size, and, accordingly, their weight is larger, so on such lands, farmers prefer to keep more drakes than ducks. But all this activity must bring benefits constantly. To this end, sex determination skills again become necessary. For consistency of reproduction, the number of girls should be 4 times greater than males.

Gender of young animals

For all novice poultry farmers who create a duck flock at home, you should know how to distinguish ducklings by gender. Day-old ducklings can be distinguished using this method:

• take the chick in your hand;
• lightly press on the cloaca;
• move your finger towards the breast.

From the first day of its existence, the male has a small point near the anus. This method makes it visible to the human eye. The presence of a bump on the body indicates that it is a boy. The absence of a pseudopenis is a sign that the bird in front of the person is a girl.

There is another popular way to determine the sex of a duckling. It is connected with the behavior of the bird. Determining the sex of ducklings occurs in this way:

• the duckling is taken by the legs;
• turn upside down;
• look at the behavior of the bird: ducklings that behave calmly are ducks, the male immediately has a desire to look back, and he turns his head.

Determining the sex of ducklings by their behavior is used by both beginners and farming professionals. Distinguish a drake from a duck even in at a young age allows them to be noisy in a flock. The boy's voice is loud. Male ducklings always get into a fight first. Ducks are calm and try to avoid conflicts. This will be noticeable even during feeding. Male ducklings already 2-3 weeks from birth show their qualities as a leader and try in every possible way to keep other ducklings away from the feeder.

There are no other methods to distinguish a duck from a drake. Sex determination in young animals is limited due to the fact that their physiological age does not allow this to be done.

Differences between adults according to external characteristics

It’s easy to learn how to distinguish a drake from a duck if you understand external signs individuals. So, you can determine the sex of a bird by its size. The male has a larger body (sometimes 2 times larger). In addition to size, the bird has other features, which are not so difficult to distinguish. The easiest way to determine the sex of a duck is by its plumage:

• The male's plumage is bright and colorful. The duck's color is inexpressive, sometimes monochromatic.
• Among the Indian duck breed, the skin of the drake on the head is stretched, covering the eyes and beak. In a duck, the main difference is the size of the hanging skin.
• In the Peking and Bashkir breeds of ducks, several feathers stand out on the tail of the drake. Female ducks do not have this feature.

It is also easy to distinguish the sex of a bird by the presence or absence of a growth on the beak and by the size of the head itself. Several rules are known. The main difference from drakes is the rounded shape of the head. The neck of ducks is short and graceful. The male's differences in these characteristics are shown in the PHOTO. Little ducklings do not have such differences. These methods are only suitable for adult ducks.

What distinguishes drakes from ducks is also their tail. The plumage at its end has a rounded shape. It is not difficult to identify a female among the entire flock: the feathers on her tail create straight lines.

Disadvantages of determining sex by the appearance of a bird

The main disadvantage of how to distinguish a drake from a duck by appearance is the dependence on the breeds of the birds themselves. This applies to muscles, plumage, color, and sometimes even character. Each variety appearance is different, moreover, it largely depends on the care of the entire flock, as well as on its feeding. In one host, the color of the male is the same as that of the female. In another, the size of the drake becomes smaller than that of the duck. For a beginner in farming, the appearance of the birds will not be the main criterion for distinguishing a young duck from a drake. It is possible to accurately determine the sex only by complex characteristics, which can only be used correctly by poultry professionals.

Differences in gender behavior

The behavior of a drake during walks also has its own characteristics, and they will help to distinguish a drake from a young duck. For example, males always try to stay behind females. They can show aggression towards other males, especially if conflicts arise over females. They prefer to stay behind whenever the opposite sex is nearby. If the ducks are hiding or hatching eggs, the males move freely, letting each other pass ahead.

There are also exceptions in behavior caused by improper keeping of birds or feeding habits.

Determining gender in such conditions is difficult, because representatives of both sexes begin to copy each other’s behavior. Among the females there are also dominants who often show aggression towards members of the pack. They also let the rest of the “women” go ahead and fight with the males for food and supremacy in the pack. This phenomenon is also noticed in males. Copying the behavior of the female makes them timid and avoids conflicts. Among males, signs of homosexuality may also appear. Most often this is observed when the ratio of females and males is incorrect.

Accurately identifying the sex of a duck and understanding how to correctly distinguish a drake from a female duck is not an easy task, but it is necessary to do it, as this can affect the reproduction of birds. This is especially true for novice poultry farmers who have difficulty solving this problem. Experienced farmers know how to distinguish a drake from a duck; in such cases, they advise hanging special marks on the birds indicating their gender. A special video will show you how to make marks. Their use will save a person from confusion in the future and will help maintain the correct sex ratio.