Ducks female and male difference. What is the difference between a drake and a duck and what does it look like? Sexual characteristics at an early age

Everything today more people stick to proper nutrition giving preference to environmentally friendly products. Many people raise ducks for dietary meat, non-GMO homemade eggs, and a host of other chemicals. It is very important to be able to determine the sex of the bird. Given that the duck and drake are representatives of the same species, not every newcomer to poultry farming will be able to distinguish them. In fact, this is quite simple to do if you know about the sex differences in birds. Poultry farmers and hunters solve this issue very quickly and accurately.

Why distinguish ducks

All experienced farmers run their household, be sure to separate the bird by gender. This takes into account a number of points:

• Female ducks are completely non-conflict, unlike drakes.
• Males are endowed with strong immunity and are more resistant to various diseases.
• Males gain weight much faster, and it is more than that of females.
• When breeding poultry, it is necessary to maintain the ratio - there must be one drake for four ducks. This is a 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 pronounced bright color, her feathers are gray, dull in color. But the males are gifted by nature with a very beautiful outfit, which helps them attract individuals of the opposite sex. A rather long crest on the head of a drake can be seen even from afar. Some domestic breeds are characterized by a single 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 the neck - in males it is wide, while in ducks it is thinner and more delicate.

The head of females 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, several feathers on it are twisted up, while in females it is completely straight. This feature is manifested from the third month.

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

However, it also happens that, due to the diet or conditions of detention, it is not always possible to determine the sex of ducks by the signs 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 is always a dominant male in the pack. After watching him, you can easily identify the rest of the males, because it is them that he will not allow to the feeder and constantly fight with them. And females, on the contrary, pays special attention, skips ahead. Regardless of whether the ducks are in the air or on the water, the female is always in front, and the drake at a short distance ensures her safety.

The difference between the male voice

It is not necessary to see a bird to determine its gender. It is enough just to listen. An 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, not embarrassed. The drake emits only a dull hiss and whistle.

Differences in sex organs

By all the signs listed above, it is possible to recognize a female from a male after the chicks reach at least three months of age. For daily ducklings, they are uncharacteristic. They can identify the male by the genitals. A very rare difference, absent in most other birds, is the drake - it is a pseudopenis that can turn outward. From it you can find out the sex of the bird already 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 appears only two millimeters long, then this is a drake, and only spherical growths will be visible in the female.

If you do this procedure for a very early dates, and even for the first time, it is not always possible to distinguish, since the genitals of the chicks are very small in size. After a few weeks, they become larger, and then it is possible to determine the sex with confidence.

How to select ducks for a tribe

Both drakes and females must be in good health, meet all standards a certain kind: size, weight and color of feathers. Not allowed at breeding ducks different deformation of the body.

In most breeds, puberty occurs only at the age of six months. They start laying eggs, then incubate them and

Not only the conditions of keeping ducks, the quality of feed, but also the ratio of females and males affects the quality of eggs. Therefore, the ability to distinguish where the duck is and where the drake is is one of the most basic that a novice poultry farmer should acquire.

The male duck - the drake - belongs to the same species as the female, but it is not difficult to distinguish them visually. This can be done by both a professional (hunter, farmer or duck breeder), and a simple layman. To determine who is female and who is male, just look at the color of the bird's plumage.

The male duck, the drake, belongs to the same species as the female.

Usually domestic ducks, which are familiar to humans, have to be distinguished, but other species can also be found in nature. For example:

• Bashkir breed;
• musky;
• mergansers;
• river;
• Indians.

In order to visually distinguish a male from a female, you should pay attention to the size of the bird. Females are somewhat smaller and can weigh up to 3.5 kg, while the male is larger, more powerful, has more weight(about 4 kg).

The male is also distinguished by a brighter color to attract and charm females during the mating season. the main task ducks are a continuation of the genus, so they are distinguished by dull gray plumage, so as not to attract attention in the wild or in the household, to protect eggs and chicks. Among other external differences that you need to pay attention to in order to distinguish a duck from a drake, it is worth noting the following:

1. The male has a crest on his neck, in which there are bright, long feathers.
2. The presence of a beard in a drake.
3. Males have rounded feathers at the end of the tail, while females have a straight tail.
4. The long neck, head, wide body help to recognize the drake at first sight.
5. The male has a wide forehead, which begins to expand from the beak (triangular shape). In females, this part of the body looks like a trapezoid.

Attention must also be paid to the sounds that the bird makes. Quacking usually comes from the female, and only hissing from the drake. The quacking of ducks is always loud - this is how it attracts ducklings, and the voice of the male can rarely be heard.

Hunters, for example, recommend paying attention to how the male behaves among others. Drakes can let the females go forward, while they themselves stay behind. Only when the duck begins to incubate the eggs do the males let each other pass on water bodies or when flying.

Gallery: drake and duck (25 photos)

Differences between a duck and a drake (video)

Sexual characteristics at an early age

With ducklings, the situation is somewhat different. Only at 2-3 months you can see the differences. On farms, ultrasound is used to separate ducklings. Only individuals of one sex react to a certain frequency, while others are afraid of signals and try to hide. This method is used to distinguish females from males and seat them in different cages.

Mallard offspring can be turned upside down. If the duckling looks around, then it will be a male, and the female will just hang without moving. Behavioral moments are very important, but it is worth considering their certain subjectivity. For example, the leader drake is already visible in early age: he fights, does not let other males near the “girls”, makes more noise than others, that is, he tries in every possible way to stand out.

But females can also differ in dominant behavior. They can also imitate behavior during mating, which is associated with the joint keeping of ducklings. The behavior of females can also be characteristic of drakes, so you should not focus only on the behavior of chicks at an early age.

Help can be provided by examining the chick. The drake has a small penis that looks like a few folds. The organ is visible if you press a little on the anus. In ducks, this organ is not developed. Therefore, experts examine the genitals of ducklings already on the 8th day after hatching.

The drake can be defined in another way. For example, raising the tail and pointing it towards the back. Thus, in representatives of ducks, the genital organ is visible. If it is not there, then this is a female duck or indo-duck.

Mallard males and females (video)

Determining the sex of an indo

Indo-duck drake (as the large breed is called) will look different from the offspring of ordinary mallards. Boys are larger than girls, and this can be seen visually a few days after the chicks have hatched. Behaviorally, all males are the same. They are pugnacious, brisk, nimble, the male is the first to be near the drinker or feed, pushing the others. But it is worth paying attention to how other ducklings treat the male. If they listen to him, then this is a clear leader, who will then lead the pack.

In the event that a male chick is chased, then he will not become a leader. And this may not be due to the nature of the male duck, but to the underdevelopment of the genital organs or other physical features. Ducklings feel this very well and immediately identify the weak. At the age of 3-4 months, the difference between babies becomes more noticeable. Ducks weigh about 3 kg (maximum), and Indo-duck drakes can gain up to 6 kg.

Indo-duck chicks do not have a characteristic growth, which appears somewhat later. In a young drake, only a small part of the head will grow, and in an adult, almost all.

Reasons for separation:

1. Rational distribution of feed. Males need to be fed more and more often, and females on a different, individual schedule.
2. Separating birds helps protect ducklings from diseases, as drakes have stronger immunity.
3. Females in the "female" company are more calm, do not enter into conflicts, do not want to fly.
4. You can adjust the number of drakes and females on the farm to get more eggs and ducklings.
5. You can get more meat from males if the farm is focused on meat production.
6. For selection, it is necessary to select drakes and ducks, dividing them into flocks. One drake - for 3-4 females.

Thus, it is not difficult to find visible differences between a drake and a duck. You just need to look closely at the offspring. The leader of the pack is always visible. In flight, while swimming or walking, he leads both adults and kids.

Duck (Anatidae) according to the classification belongs to the class of birds, the order of Anseriformes, the family of ducks and the genus of waterfowl.

Duck Description

For all the numerous representatives of ducks, one can name character traits, distinguishing them from other birds:

• flattened and streamlined body;
• rather short neck;
• small head;
• wide and flat beak with horny plates or teeth on the sides;
• the presence of a subcutaneous layer of fat;
• powerful paws, equipped with membranes that resemble flippers.

Biological features of a duck

One more characteristic feature distinguishing ducks from other bird species, one can name a significant difference in the color of males and females. The male duck, the drake, in addition to being much larger than the female, has a more colorful plumage. All representatives of ducks have a contrasting and bright spot on their wings, which is called a “mirror”. It serves to ensure that birds of the same species can identify each other among other birds.

Due to the grease secreted by the oil gland, the outer plumage of the duck is waterproof. Thanks to this, waterfowl can take off even after long “ water procedures».

duck species

Ducks can be divided into two main groups: wild and domestic. In turn, wild ducks are divided into diving ducks, which get their food at the bottom of water bodies, and river ducks, which get their food in shallow water. It is believed that domestic ducks had one common ancestor - the mallard.

The whole variety of duck breeds bred by man can be divided into four classes: meat, meat and egg, egg and decorative.

Drakes weight meat breed can reach four kilograms, and the average egg-laying of egg-class ducks exceeds 250 eggs per year.

Where do ducks live?

The distribution range of ducks is very wide. You will not meet them only in the harsh conditions of Antarctica. The main condition for existence wild ducks is the presence of a reservoir, since it is a source of food for these birds.

In addition, coastal vegetation (shrubs, reeds, wind-blown trees, etc.) serves as an obligatory factor, which hides a nest with masonry from prying eyes. With representatives of poultry it is easier - they live where conditions have been created for them.

What does a duck eat?

In nutrition, representatives of the duck family are absolutely unpretentious and can easily adapt to circumstances. In early spring When the reservoirs are still covered with a crust of ice, ducks find food in polynyas. Later, when the water is freed from winter shackles, duckweed, small fish and tadpoles, crustaceans and adults are added to the diet of ducks. The latter helps to restrain the uncontrolled reproduction of these insects.

Ducks and geese are water birds. There are a lot of them and they live all over the world. These birds have dense plumage that helps keep them warm, and webbed feet that are well adapted for swimming.

Duck- this bird is small in size with a short neck and tarsus, covered in front with transverse shields, it comes from the order of new-palatine, order of anseriformes, family of ducks. In total, there are about 110 species of these birds in the world. The coloring of ducks can be both monotonous and several colors. The most common ducks are white or gray in color.
All types of ducks have a weight of 2 to 5 kilograms, depending on age. They have short legs, on which they waddle amusingly when walking. On the paws are three webbed front toes and a free back toe. Most species of ducks live in fresh water. They feed on insects, worms and other plant food. Male ducks are called drakes. They have bright plumage that attracts females. Feathers of females are beige-brown.

Peking ducks can be found in villages and villages. Males have an impressive weight of 4 kg, and females - 3.5 kg. They can lay up to 120 eggs in a year. Young ducks gain weight in just 60 days.

One of best ways rearing ducks is duck(hen), which, together with the brood, swims in the pond, looking for natural and naturally clean food, teaches and protects the ducklings.
The most common ducks are: Mallard, Gray duck, or half-mallard, Pintail, Sviyaz, Teal cracker, Teal whistle, Broadnoska, Red-headed dive (blue black), Crested duck, White-eyed dive.

Goose belongs to the class of birds, the subclass of neopalates, the order of anseriformes, the family of ducks, the subfamily of goose and the genus of geese. Geese are usually larger than ducks and have longer necks. Geese have rather large beaks, with which they pull grass out of the ground. The beak of ducks is flatter - it is convenient for them to catch food from the water.
Geese, unlike other birds, have a beak that is colored orange or grey colour. The beak has great height, but its width is not large, the end of the beak is expressed by a nail with a sharp edge. Along the edges of the beak are small teeth. Geese have a neck, but it is not as long as swans, they also have high legs painted in orange or gray, and paws are a bit like flippers, which allows them to swim on the water.

geese have a large number of feathers and down. The main difference between males and females is only in the bone outgrowth (“hump”) at the beginning of the beak near the bridge of the male, as well as a slightly larger body size.

Almost all species of geese cackle or make murmuring sounds, hiss when threatened or irritated, and may bite. The most common are geese: wild geese, gray geese, goose, Canada goose, White-fronted geese, White geese, White goose, Red-breasted goose, Black goose, African geese.

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Many breeds of ducks are difficult to separate into females and males. If you do not delve into how to distinguish a duck from a drake by specific features, it will be extremely difficult to determine. It will be especially difficult to determine the sex of small individuals. For definition, there are characteristic features not only in appearance, but also in behavior.

Briefly about the difference between adult ducks by external signs

It is very important to learn how to determine the sex of ducks, as this will help to select the right 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. In any case, the correct selection will lead to increased productivity.

What are the external characteristics of male ducks:

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

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

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

The main differences between musky duck drakes and females

Muscovy duck is popularly called mute duck. This breed By outward signs differs significantly from its other tribesmen: a wide chest, powerful wings and limbs.

The name of the breed did not just come from the word "musk". It is believed that members of this species adulthood begin to secrete fat with a specific musky smell through the pores.

How to distinguish a duck from a drake

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

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

External differences between drakes and ducks

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

• Size. The male duck is always larger than the female. The difference in weight can range from ½ kg to 1 kg. The body of the drake is much wider, and rib cage more developed.
• Feather color. Drakes look more noticeable against the background of females. And this is no accident, because for the female the most important thing is to take care of the offspring and protect them, and a bright color can only attract ill-wishers. Males have a very bright color that attracts females.
• Features of the structure of the neck. Females have a graceful and embossed neck, and 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 a glance.

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

How to distinguish females from drakes by behavior

When determining the gender 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 is kept behind or slightly to the side. During the period when the females incubate the eggs, the males alternately let each other pass forward.

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 a female, the drake constantly revolves around them and arranges conflicts with other males. mating season ducks often passes with songs and dances.

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

Of particular importance in determining the sex of ducks are the sounds that these birds make. Females have a loud voice, but males tend to hiss. Female ducks are not in vain endowed with a loud voice, because thanks to it they gather ducklings in a heap. But from drakes it is extremely rare to hear any sound.

Important! At wrong mode feeding and adverse conditions same-sex couples can sometimes form. In such unions, the dominant female completely repeats the behavior of any male.

Disadvantages of sex determination by the appearance of a bird

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

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

To accurately determine the gender of ducks, you need to combine several signs into one. Such work can only be carried out by an experienced breeder.

Only an experienced breeder can distinguish

How to determine the gender of a duck

If everything is clear with sex determination in adult ducks, then how to determine the sex of seemingly absolutely identical ducklings is not. This is very difficult, because external differences ducklings don't.

How can you distinguish ducklings by gender by the most common method:

• You need to very carefully take the chick by the paws and place the head down. In this position, the female will hang calmly and motionlessly, but the male duck will twist its head with all its might, trying to examine the space.
• Even small males are quite aggressively trying to constantly get into a fight and generally behave very actively.
• At the youngest age (1 day), one 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 not always the use of one method is 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 in the 20th century. For him, the proportion of small daily ducklings, goslings and chickens is suitable. The method consists in a visual examination of the cloaca and the identification on the inner wall of the genital tubercle, which differs significantly in both shape and size in the female and male. Currently, this method is very popular all over the world and is called ventsexing.

Important! The use of this method by inexperienced farmers threatens to injure a small chick or become infected with intestinal infections.

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

To determine the gender of a duckling using the Japanese method, follow these steps:

1. take the chick and put in left hand, directing to itself;
2. do 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 the utmost accuracy and experience in carrying out the inspection.

Features of sex determination in different ducks

For some breeds of ducks, the listed signs of difference do not always help determine the sex. Especially it concerns external characteristics birds.

Favorite breed

Most often, ducks of the favorite breed have a dull color of 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 size is much smaller than females. You can also distinguish the sex by the back of the bird: the twisted tail, which always catches the eye, indicates that it is a male.

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

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

Of course, the listed signs cannot exactly guarantee that a certain representative of the favorite breed belongs to one or another gender. 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, painted in Orange color. The chest has a concave forward shape, the head is located on a fairly short neck. The beak of the Bashkir females is flattened and has a yellowish tinge.

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

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

By color

But how to distinguish the Bashkir duck from the drake white color, because the differences in appearance They dont have? Here you can start only from the 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, because their plumage is particularly bright. Females, on the other hand, 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 defiant.

For your information! During molting, all male mandarin ducks huddle in flocks 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 various weather conditions. In addition, this species has the largest size.

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

• The plumage of the female mallard has a discreet Brown color allowing her to disguise herself in wild nature. The tummy has a more saturated color. The beak is painted olive or dark gray, and the legs are red.
• The male mallard looks more flamboyant. The head and neck are dark green. There is also a prominent border on the neck. The breast is chestnut in color, the beak is olive, and the legs are orange.

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

Determining the sex of a duck is most often carried out on the basis of external and behavioral characteristics. But this method is not always effective. After all, such data depend 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 are briefly presented above.