How to tell male and female ducklings apart. How to distinguish a duck from a drake: external differences

A domestic duck is a bird that a person keeps on his personal plots or farmlands. Unlike their ancestors, wild ducks, Domestic bird flies poorly and cannot travel long distances.

The duck was domesticated a very long time ago, according to Wikipedia, a thousand years before our era, from an ordinary wild mallard duck. In the process of domestication, people brought out many breeds of ducks. So, today it is known that ducks are bred to get meat, eggs, and also to get a delicacy in the form of a liver (foie gras). Among other things, ducks are kept for down and feathers.

It is known that keeping ducks is not at all expensive, despite the fact that the bird is also hardy, there is practically no trouble with it. Farms that are engaged in the commercial breeding and rearing of ducks usually try to locate their farms near water bodies. Since the long stay of ducks on the water has a very favorable effect on their general condition and behavior. Some farms that raise ducks for meat use the technique of rearing poultry without walking, indoors. Ducklings from the daily state to the age of 55 days, with proper feeding and care, already reach a weight of 2.5 kg and are ready for slaughter.

But in order to grow livestock for meat, it is necessary to keep ducks and drakes separately. Since drakes grow faster and gain weight faster than females, it will be necessary to divide the herd at a very early age.

What are the characteristics of male and female ducks?

The following common methods can be used to determine ducks by gender:

  • External signs;
  • Behavior of adolescents and adults;
  • Features of the structure of the genital organs;
  • Folk methods of determination.

You can take a closer look at each of the methods.

Whatever color the ducks are, in any case, the drake is always larger than the duck. The drake has a longer neck and legs. He is growing faster and gaining weight.

The females have a rounder head and a shorter neck than the drake.

Males have a small growth on the nose at the top, which is a distinctive feature of the drake.

You can also distinguish a female from a male by the tail plumage. Drakes have rounded feathers at the end of their tails, while females have straight and even tail feathers.

Well, the most striking distinguishing point is the general plumage of birds. In a drake of dark colors, it is very bright, attracting attention. In addition, the drake has a "beard", the females do not have such a "beard".

Females have a very modest gray plumage. But they are very attractive and charming.

But only gray ducks can be distinguished by plumage. If white individuals grow on your farm, then this method will not be effective.

Behavior of adolescents and adults

By behavior, it is possible to distinguish a duck from a drake, but only at the age of 1-1.5 months. Young adolescents are already beginning to show aggression towards other individuals. As a rule, the most pugnacious duckling will be the best male. He usually fights with males, protecting females. By these signs, you can also determine where the male is and where the female is.

Ducks can also be distinguished from drakes by the sounds they make. Already at 2 months, the voice of the birds begins to change. And ducks usually begin to quack, and males hiss and whistle.

Features of the structure of the genital organs

The most proven way to determine the sex of a duckling at a very early age is the gender-based method. When using this technique, it is better for inexperienced poultry farmers to invite a specialist and in his presence try to determine what gender your ducklings are growing.

Take the duckling in your hands, turn it over on its back and place it in your palm with its head towards you. Gently stretch the distance around the anus towards the abdomen. If there is a drake in front of you, then you will see a small spiral penis. A duck has no such surprises. It will just be possible to notice spherical flat tubercles in her.

Folk methods for determining the sex of ducklings

Folk methods include the traditional lowering of little ducklings upside down. It is believed that if a male chick is upside down, then it will spin and look around. And if a female, then she will just hang and not worry.

Another way is to observe the chicks in the herd. If the duckling behaves cockily, drives others away from the feeder and does not give rest to other ducklings, then this is the future leader.

It is believed that already at a week of age it is possible to visually distinguish a male from a female. In males, the neck is already getting thicker and longer. The head of the drake is also already larger.

But no methods can determine one hundred percent where the female is and where the male is at a very early age. All the same, a certain percentage of the error will take place. Therefore, as your duck population grows, you need to inspect them and cull them.

If you can separate males from females within reasonable limits, this will give you the opportunity to plan the consumption of feed and increase the productivity of the bird. You can get strong offspring from good parents and thereby increase your profits.

In most breeds of ducks, distinctive features are not obvious, so often poultry farmers, especially beginners, cannot always determine the sex of ducklings and distinguish a duck from a drake. Having become acquainted with certain external signs and characteristics of the character of a bird, you can easily learn this skill.

External signs

It is very important to distinguish a drake from a young duck - this will help to correctly distribute the number of males and females in the tribe. In the future, this will increase their productivity and egg production.

You can determine that you have a drake in front of you by the following characteristic features:

  • bright and saturated color;
  • drakes are always larger;
  • triangular forehead;
  • on the neck contains a small crest of feathers;
  • the beak is massive;
  • there is a slight feathering on the beard.

Females can be recognized by the following features:

  • unlike the drake, they do not have plumage on the beard;
  • the shape of the forehead is trapezoidal;
  • there are no curls on the tail;
  • the plumage is plain and muted colors.

The duck almost always weighs less than the male. But, depending on feeding and conditions, sometimes drakes can be smaller than females. Therefore, this parameter is not always accurate.

Character features

It is possible to distinguish a duck from a drake by certain character traits. Males almost always keep aloof from the female and in the process of walking let her go ahead.

If you look closely at the males, you might notice that they are distinguished by greater activity - pugnacity and noise. This is especially true for a dominant individual who wants to emphasize his leadership. The male expresses this behavior in relation to other males.

Ducks have a calm character, they are not in conflict and fly much less often.

If the tribe has an incorrect distribution of drakes and ducks, then it will be difficult to determine the sex by character, because female individuals can behave in the same way as males. Ideally, there should be one female for every four males.

Sex characteristics

This is the most accurate way to distinguish a drake from a duck.

This method helps to distinguish between one-day-old ducklings. To determine the bird is placed with its back on a flat surface, then gently pull the skin away from the cloaca towards the abdomen. Male ducklings have an underdeveloped or developed sexual organ, and ducks have two small balls.

By voice

You can determine the sex of a duckling by specific sounds. In females, they look more like a loud and sharp cry - quacking, in males - whistling and hissing.

Again, you should not focus on this indicator, because each breed of females and males has a different voice.

Ultrasonic method

This is an unusual way to tell a duck from a drake. But for this you need a device to extract the sound.

It is tuned to certain frequencies, then the behavior of birds is observed. Ducks of the same sex that have clustered around this device should be moved to a separate cage or room. After separation, the groups are subject to classification.

Breed features

Each breed has its own qualities and features by which it is possible to distinguish a drake from a duck:

  1. Males of the domestic Bashkir breed have curled feathers on their tails, while females have straight feathers.
  2. The main differences between a duck and a wild drake are the color of the feathers and the size. In wild males, the plumage is bright with the presence of green and dark blue color, in females, the color of feathers is brown or brown. The average weight of drakes is about 2 kg, females - 1.5-2 kg.
  3. Male domestic musky ducks (indo-ducks or mute ducks) contain a pronounced red growth in the form of a bump above the beak. There are red spots on both sides of the head. In females of this breed, neoplasms above the beak are smaller and orange in color. There are also small orange spots around the eyes. The female is always smaller than the male.
  4. It is impossible to distinguish a young drake from a domestic Peking duck by plumage, since they have an identical, snow-white color of feathers. But there are differences in size - males weigh about 3.9 kg, and females - 3.5-3.6 kg. The most reliable sign in determining the sex will be the tail. In drakes of the Beijing breed, as well as in males of the Bashkir breed, it contains whorls, while in females they are absent.
  5. Favorite. The main differences between the drakes of this breed are their large weight (about 5 kg), in females it is no more than 3 kg. There are other differences - in males, the neck is long, stocky, the paws are large, well developed and the head has an angular shape. Ducks have smooth and more delicate forms.

To many poultry farmers and residents countryside it is important to be able to distinguish a drake from a duck. At first glance it seems that this is impossible. This is especially difficult to do with newly born ducklings. People who have been growing this bird for a long time can quickly and without errors determine the sex.

There are a lot of recommendations and tips on the Internet on how to distinguish a drake from a duck. When it comes to the practice itself, it becomes clear that in fact, there are not so many differences, especially when it comes to chicks. Let's find out what methods are used to identify gender in ducks.


Indians. Duck or drake?

The main advantages and difference in appearance

Why is it necessary to distinguish ducks by gender? In fact, experienced farmers do their farming by gender.

What is taken into account:

  • female ducks do not tend to fly away, unlike males, they are not in conflict;
  • males have strong immunity;
  • the male duck is more enduring than the female, more resistant to disease;
  • drakes have much more weight than females;
  • egg productivity will depend on the sex ratio (1:4) - there should be more females.

According to sexual dimorphism, ducks differ in their plumage. Like many animals, the female does not have a bright color, most often it is a gray and dull color of feathers. The male, on the contrary, is gifted by nature with bright and colorful colors to attract the opposite sex. The drake on the neck has a long and bright crest. One of the differences is the beard, which female ducks are deprived of.

The tail is also slightly different. If you look closely at the very tip, you will notice that in males the feathers are twisted up (usually such a tail is in the Peking and Bashkir breeds), while in females the tail is straight. Feathers in males are already twisted from 3 months. The drake weighs almost twice as much as the female. So, if the male has a weight of about 5 kg, then the female is up to 3 kg. The forehead of the drake is wider, and the beak resembles a triangle. Females, on the other hand, have an extension of a trapezoidal character.

Additional external differences females from males:

  • the beak of the drakes has a growth located upwards;
  • forehead bones are more massive in males, widening from the beak;
  • the head of females is rounder than that of males;
  • the neck of females is shorter and thinner;
  • body of females narrower;
  • leg muscles are not as developed as in males.

It so happens that external differences are practically not noticeable. This will depend on the conditions of the birds and the diet. It even happens that females are larger than males. It is also not always possible to indicate the exact gender of ducks by plumage. The color depends on the species and breed. For example, domestic ducks are characterized by the same color, both for males and for females - white.

The behavior of males and females: what is the difference

In a flock of ducks, you can see that the weaker sex is not a leader and always goes somewhere on the side or behind. This happens both in flight and on a walk. Poultry farmers often notice aggression from drakes. Dominants often fight for food or females with other males. Experienced farmers have learned to distinguish a drake from a duck by its voice: the loud quacking of the female is difficult to confuse with the hiss and whistle of a duck.

Muscovy ducks (drake - top)


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During the breeding season, it is quite easy to identify the male. He is all feathered, becomes attentive to his chosen one. Additional sexual characteristics may appear that were not previously noticeable. For example, if earlier he did not have a beard or mustache, all this appears during the mating season. By such methods, birds attract the opposite sex. In order for the female to pay attention to him, he constantly curls around her, conflicts with other applicants. Marriage games can be accompanied by dances and songs. It is worth noting that not only the drake can take the first step towards “acquaintance”, but also the female can become the initiator of mating.

In young chicks, sex is more difficult to determine. Usually only at the age of 10-12 weeks does sexual dimorphism begin to appear. For many poultry farmers, gender is an important consideration when buying poultry. Therefore, many have adapted to use a special ultrasonic device that can attract individuals of only one sex.

If you hold the duckling upside down by the legs, the female will be motionless, and the young drake will make attempts to look around. Of course, this does not give a guarantee in determining the sex, but it's worth a try.

If ducks are not properly fed and kept in inappropriate conditions, same-sex pairs can form. The dominant female can even completely copy the behavior of the drake. Males can also form pairs with each other. That is why the behavioral method of difference is unreliable.

Differences in gender

It turns out that if you really want to, you can even distinguish the sex of daily chicks. To do this, you need to take the duckling with your left hand (with your head towards you) and massage his anal passage. If a small pseudo-penis appears (about 3 mm in size), then you probably have a young drake in your hands. If nothing like this appeared, then this is a female. For female representatives, small balls (like growths) will be visible.

Duck or drake - sex determination

This method is called Japanese. It gives a 98% guarantee. But everything will depend on the correctness of doing the process. Only an experienced specialist will be able to determine the gender with this method with 100% accuracy.

When a farmer knows how to distinguish ducks by various characteristics, he begins to rationally plan nutrition, feed distribution, and egg productivity. All this knowledge affects the reproduction of birds, it is on them that development depends. meat direction or egg.

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Video: Determination of the sex of goslings (similarly with ducklings)

Many poultry farmers sometimes face the problem of how to distinguish a duck from a drake. This issue is especially relevant in the case of recognition of ducklings, not to mention domestic ducks, with sometimes blurry external signs of separation into females and drakes.

For the successful maintenance of a poultry farm, such information will help to properly plan feed costs and adjust the percentage of boys and girls in the livestock. Livestock breeders with experience know how to distinguish a duck from a drake , and are guided by very accessible methods.

Birders who have embarked on the exciting path of breeding birds of the duck family know that timely sex recognition is the key to the successful development of the future flock and gives poultry houses the opportunity to increase livestock productivity. Determining the sex of the chick provides the following information for reflection:


Knowing the sex allows you to draw up a detailed nutrition schedule in advance and purchase the necessary feed.

Big duck family

Anatidae are the largest family of birds capable of swimming, and there are approximately 150 species of birds. Many of them, mallards for example, have long been successfully domesticated and kept for eggs, soft fluff and tasty meat. There are more than 110 species of ducks in the world, 30 of which are common in Russia.

Ducks are predominantly medium in size with a small head and neck. The coloring of birds comes in a variety of shades. Some species are characterized by a clearly manifested sexual dimorphism during the mating season, visible to the naked eye by differences in the color scheme of plumage.

Domestic ducks that have taken root on farmlands are descended from the mallard. Some of the most popular meat breeds in Russia are Peking, Mulard, Bashkir, Musk, Moscow White, Favorit Blue, and Black White-breasted. The leaders of the mixed direction are Khaki-Campbell, Cayuga and Saxon, and among the excellent laying hens, the Indian Runners have proven themselves well.

Some varieties of ducks can be easily divided into female and male individuals, based on exterior features alone. Cayuga, Mulard, Bashkir, Musk, Saxon and many other species are fairly easy to differentiate, although they cannot do without nuances.

Anatomical differences, apart from sexual ones, between females and males in the duck family are poorly developed: there are not too many breeds in nature with a clear division of sexes based on body structure. And yet, the easiest way to find out the gender is to look closely at the birds.

External differences

This method can be used when the bird formation process has ended.

CriterionDrakeDuck
Body massDrakes of any breed compared to females have larger body sizes and a wide body.Weighs approximately 2 times less than the male
PlumageThe color is due to belonging to the breed, however, in general, it is brighter, richer and more elegant.Muted, light tones predominate in the color scheme
HeadLonger head: The forehead is wider than in females and widens from the beak into a triangular shape. The skin extends behind the eyes and under the beak is much larger than in females, has a bright red color and a pineal outgrowth above the beakThe extension from the beak to the frontal bone has the shape of a trapezoid
NeckLonger, with a tuft consisting of long, bright feathersNo beard on neck
TailThere are several feathers, twisted into a ring, which are already visible at 3 monthsNo tail curls

The table is quite approximate, especially with regard to the color of feathers: drakes and female domestic ducks, for example, are equally white.

Everything about breeding, keeping, feeding and productivity characteristics of the Bashkir duck can be found in the article: Bashkir duck.

Behavioral differences

If it is not possible to determine the sex based on external distinctive features, you can try to figure it out based on the behavior of birds. However, this method works only in 80% of cases.

Obtaining a 100% result is impossible due to sometimes incorrect proportions of sexes in the livestock. With an imbalance in the gender structure, females allow themselves the behavioral style of drakes, and vice versa: the strong half of the herd begins to imitate females.

Characteristic features of behavior:

  1. If you watch the young, you can easily notice the most active and energetic chick. He will often fight and behave in the most brash manner. The obstinate baby definitely belongs to the category of drakes. The remaining males are quite easy to recognize: you just need to look at which of the chicks he does not allow to touch the feeders with food. It is they who will be competitive representatives of the male part of the livestock.
  2. Drakes are gentlemen: in the air, on the water or on land, they always allow the lady to pass first. The only exception is the period of incubation of eggs, when males, deprived of female society, begin to practice gallantry in front of each other.

It is also quite easy to calculate the male with the onset of the mating season. It becomes more beautiful and bright, and the plumage is more magnificent and defiant. To get the attention of his chosen one, he skillfully uses all the rules of duck etiquette and becomes an unusually attentive and caring partner. In addition, drakes sometimes show additional sexual characteristics in the form of a mustache or beard. In such ways, birds want to win the heart of their lady.

So that the duck does not get to another male, he will constantly be nearby and prove his right to possess.

The nuances in the behavior of birds are rather arbitrary, because sometimes, with the wrong proportion of females and males, same-sex couples begin to form in the herd, and dominant females sometimes even try to imitate the actions of males during mating. Therefore, if it was not possible to establish the truth by external signs and behavioral stereotypes, you can use the voice prompt.

Vocal ability

In the world of sounds made by ducks, you can hear not only the typical quacking. The vocal capabilities of birds are rich in many options for transmitting information: cackle, whistle, hiss, trills and even trumpet calls - ducks can both swear and also like to laugh.

Most drakes have a sac-like extension in their trachea that amplifies the volume of any sound escaping from the beak. Already upon reaching the first month of life, the females, as befits the ladies, make cheerful, quacking and impetuous sounds. Drakes are not so talkative and more modest in the set of sound samples. They mainly hiss, sometimes turning into a light whistle.

Ultrasonic method

If the household has an ultrasound machine, trial and error can try to find a frequency that will only be of interest to birds of the same sex.

Individuals that cluster around the sound source should be tagged and moved to a separate cage to avoid further confusion. Then you need to classify the group as male or female.

Taking into account the fact that sexual characteristics in representatives of this family begin to appear at least 2 months after birth, you can use the Japanese method of recognizing the sex of chicks.

Japanese sex determination

Using this method, you can calculate the gender with an accuracy of 98% to 100%, and even one-day-old babies can be sorted by gender. You should be extremely careful when using this method, since gender recognition manipulations can be dangerous for young animals. It only takes time and a trained eye to achieve accurate data!

What manipulations need to be done:

  1. Gently place the duckling in the palm of your left hand, tummy up, and massage for a few seconds.
  2. With the thumb and forefinger of the right hand, the cloaca should be slightly opened and the wall of the anus should be turned out from the side of the location of the penis.
  3. If in the folds of the mucous membrane a penis appears in the form of a spiral, 1.5 - 2 mm in size, it is possible with 100% certainty to consider the baby a drake. In females, only flat spherical growths are visible.

How to distinguish a Muscovy duck from a drake?

In the people, a musky duck or an indo-duck is called a mute. In its exterior, it differs from its fellow tribesmen: it has a wide chest, powerful wings and limbs.

The name of the breed is borrowed from the word "musk": it is believed that the oldest representatives of this species have the ability to secrete fat through the pores of the scalp with a specific odor.

This breed is quite popular in breeding due to the following factors:

  • Indo-duck meat has a very delicate, pleasant taste and is dietary;
  • eggs are also used in cooking;
  • birds of this breed do not need a reservoir located near the walking area;
  • birds are classified as homebodies, which significantly reduces the risk of losing livestock due to its sudden departure.

There are both wild representatives of the breed and domesticated individuals.

The main differences between musky duck drakes and females

The main differences between females and males of indo-ducks in appearance are almost the same as those used for the entire duck family as a whole:

  • size of birds: the drake will always be larger than the female, the maximum difference in weight ranges from 0.5 to 1 kg, in addition, the male's body is wider with a well-developed chest;
  • feather color: females look more simple and modest compared to drakes. All the efforts of females are aimed at caring and protecting offspring. Bright plumage will only attract unwanted guests and endanger the lives of the chicks. Drakes, on the contrary, should be bright and attract the attention of females in order to procreate;
  • bend of the neck: in females, as it should be for ladies, the neck is more prominent and graceful, in males it is stronger and wider.

From 3 months of age, listed external signs begin to appear, and to determine the sex of birds, only a few seconds of a quick visual inspection are enough.

Video - Muscovy ducklings: how to distinguish birds by sex

How to distinguish ducklings by gender

Finding out the sex of babies is much more difficult, since external differences at such a young age are not yet visible.

In addition to using the Japanese method, the sex of ducklings can be determined by the following methods:

  1. Gently take the chick by the paws and turn it upside down: the female will hang quietly without moving, and the drake will turn its head, trying to explore the space surrounding it.
  2. The constant desire to get involved in a fight, increased conflict, aggressiveness and activity are characteristic only for males.
  3. The sex of newborn ducklings at the age of 1 day can also be calculated from the anatomical features of the body: in the drake, in the lower part of the larynx, a spherical expansion is felt, which is located directly at the beginning of the chest.

Timely determination of the sex of ducklings, especially immediately after their birth, is a significant bonus in the development of the duck population. Given the fact that it is impossible to draw conclusions about the sex of the young by external signs, it will be effective to use the Japanese method, probing the larynx and observing the "social" behavior of the chicks.

When the livestock breeder has information about the number of ducks and drakes in the herd, he can significantly rationalize the process of breeding birds and significantly increase egg and meat productivity.

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

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 a hundred various kinds, of which more than thirty genera are easy to find on the territory of Russia.

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

These include ducks:

  1. Earthy.
  2. Diving.
  3. River.
  4. Brilliant.
  5. Stream.
  6. Marine.
  7. Steamboat ducks.
  8. Savki.

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

  1. meat;
  2. egg;
  3. meat-egg.

Important: only females are called ducks - males are called drakes.

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

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 flight wings, ducks cannot fly for some time.

They feed on aquatic plants and seeds, do not mind eating mollusks and insects. The weight of poultry is up to 3-4 kg in drakes and about 3-3.5 kg in females. The latter are able to bring up to 250 eggs per year, wild species more "humble". Mostly females incubate eggs, they also raise children.

Why you need to know the differences

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

This will help not only to establish 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, more likely to fly away and have good disease tolerance.
  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. Some difficulty is the recognition of gender in ducklings, since they do not yet have clear signs.

Gender (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 spring, during the mating season, and drakes also have a small “beard”;

Note: in the household, identical white birds are often found, which cannot be distinguished.

  1. Females look smaller and more elegant 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 Favorit breed;
  2. The tail of drakes is round, in ducks it is sharp;
  3. The drake's beak has a small outgrowth on top;
  4. The forehead of a duck is narrow, the entire head with a beak resembles a trapezoid in shape, in a drake the shape looks more like a triangle (expands from the beak);
  5. 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 decrease in the male, and its excess - to the enlargement of the female.

  1. Japanese method

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

  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. Aggressiveness of dominant males: it manifests itself in frequent fights for females and food;
  2. When a flock gathers together, the females usually walk in front, while the males are located on the side 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, a bird may develop homosexuality, and it will begin to copy someone else's behavior. For example, a dominant female will start to fight or run away to the drakes, and a passive male will cling to the opposite sex.

  1. Differences in ducklings

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

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

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  1. Folk way

Folk remedies offer to follow 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 start to break free, the girl will remain hanging.

Accurate determination of the sex of birds will help to properly distribute food and choose the direction of development of the economy. 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 the video or by comparing photos of drakes and ducks.

How to distinguish a duck from a drake, see the following video for expert advice: