Male duck. Duck and drake are representatives of the same species. How to distinguish them. Why is there no sexual estrus in drakes?

Baby animals sometimes have names that aren't obvious, and you may have even asked yourself questions like:

• What is a female ferret called?
• What is the name of a female deer, wood grouse, giraffe, peacock, woodpecker, wild boar?
• What is the name of a baby seal, walrus, swan, sheep, elk, badger?
• What is the name of a male duck, squirrel, cuckoo, pig, panther?
• What is the name of baby animals? For example, elephants, eagles and so on.

In a word, in this article we have collected the names of females - mothers, males - fathers, as well as the names of baby animals, including animals (aka mammals), birds, fish, insects, reptiles and amphibians.

If you haven’t found someone, be sure to write about it in the comments, and we will add this material as soon as possible.

The collected material is presented in the form of a table with 4 columns. The first column is the name of the male, the 2nd is the name of the female, the 3rd is the name of the baby animal, and in the last column is the name of the baby animal in the plural.

Note also that there are both colloquial names , which are acceptable in speech, but use them in a scientific report, or when preparing an essay, it will be incorrect .

Names of baby animals

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 inconspicuous 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 different species, of which more than thirty genera can be easily found 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 evolved from the mallard or mallard species wild duck. 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 necks 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.

Eating aquatic plants and seeds, don’t mind eating shellfish 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 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 a 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 external structure birds 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

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 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.

Cleaning sewer pipes at home:

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, see next video expert advice:

Both hunters and farmers need to be able to determine the sex of ducks. During the hunting period, shooting of drakes is permitted. The females are left so that they can later breed offspring, increasing the number of livestock within their breed. Farmers raise ducks for both meat and eggs. Males gain body weight faster. In a short period of fattening, they show better productivity.

For meat production, it is preferable to breed males rather than females. At the same time, females are taken to produce duck eggs. Males in poultry farms are kept to create bird families and to obtain hatching eggs. How to distinguish a duck from a drake? What should you pay attention to?

More than 150 species of ducks live in nature. Some of them are commercial. Drakes of wild ducks are distinguished by their bright plumage. During the mating season, the color of their feathers becomes rich and bright. Females, on the contrary, are modest in their attire. Most often it is monochromatic, gray, brown, red. Feathers form an ornament on the body that is characteristic of a particular breed.

In spring, drakes shed their bright plumage and look like a female. In this case, the size of the individuals matters. Males are always larger than females. During the winter molt, they are again covered with beautiful feathers, which remain until the mating season. Ornithologists note distinctive features in individuals of different sexes:

Experienced hunters and ornithologists can recognize a drake and a female by their voice. Ducks most often quack abruptly. Males can hiss, whistle, crackle, and produce intricate trills. It is especially important to pay attention to the voice wild birds after the spring molt, when the drakes lose their bright feathers.

Characteristics of domestic ducks

Farmers need to know how to distinguish males from females in a duck herd. This will allow them to properly form a herd and prescribe the appropriate diet. To determine the sex of ducks of domestic breeds, external differences between the drake and the female are important.

This is especially visible in the spring, during the mating season. The male duck is bright. His behavior is active. Males begin to court females. They spread their wings, attracting ducks with their bright plumage. By the behavior of birds in a flock, one can distinguish the sex of individuals.

Some ducks of domestic breeds show clear sexual dimorphism in plumage color. Gender differences are visible in photographs presented on the Internet:

• Muscovy ducks. The main differences between the breed are the growths around the eyes and at the base of the beak. In the drake they are bright red and look like large warts. In ducks, the growth is small and has a pinkish tint. The male's plumage is black and white. The head and chest are cast green. Females are uniformly variegated;
• Khaki Campbell. The plumage of the birds is light brown. The boy can be recognized by the dark feather on his head and light wings. Girls are uniformly brown;
• Bashkir duck. Looking at pictures of birds, you may not immediately recognize them as domestic ducks. The bird pair is more similar to the mallard family. Individuals have identical plumage color. Getting to know them better, they are clearly noticeable distinctive features. Domestic ducks are much larger, weighing more than 4 kg.

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to determine the sex of birds by external signs, by feather color. There are individuals with snow-white plumage. It is difficult to recognize a female and a male in the following breeds: Agidel, Moscow White, Pekingese, Cherry Valley. How to create a duck meat and egg flock in this case? Experts resort to the Japanese technique. It allows you to determine the sex of individuals from birth. They don't pay attention to external signs. The chicks' down looks the same on most breeds of ducks.

According to the Japanese method of determining the sex of ducklings, it is proposed to inspect the cloaca of individuals and find the genitals. They are poorly developed, but anatomical differences in chicks can be detected. How to distinguish a duck from a drake by primary sexual characteristics? In the male, a protruding tubercle is clearly visible on the inner wall of the cloaca on the left. It is oblong. These are the beginnings of the penis. When examining females, no tubercles are visible.

The fallopian tube is closed by a membrane. It is a thin skin growth. An experienced specialist can determine the sex of 600 chicks with great accuracy in an hour. Inexperienced birders will need some time and skill to inspect the ducklings' cloaca. What actions do the homesteaders need to implement, how to determine the sex of chicks:

1. pick up the chick. Place it on your palm, back down;
2. perform a light massage of the lower abdomen;
3. lightly press on the stomach. The mucous membrane of the inner wall of the cloaca will appear;
4. inspect the left inner wall;
5. the male will have a 2 mm long process;
6. the female has a fallopian tube on the left. A smooth mucous wall will be found on it.

You need to act carefully. Lightly press on the abdomen, slightly pushing out the mucous membrane. Otherwise, there is a risk of the intestinal walls being squeezed out of the cloaca, which can lead to the death of the duckling. Experts advise contacting a veterinarian for help. This technique is used to determine the sex of geese, turkeys, and chickens.

Palpation of the larynx

There is another way to determine sex in birds. Anatomical differences in the structure of the larynx are noticeable between ducklings of different sexes. The duck drake has an expansion on the larynx. It has the shape of a ball. Females do not have this feature. The spherical expansion can be detected by palpation:

1. The duckling is picked up. Place the stomach on the palm;
2. with one hand they stretch his neck;
3. with the other hand they feel the expansion in the upper part of the chest;
4. the procedure is painless and safe.

Duck's husband - this is what many people jokingly call drakes, but not everyone can say with confidence exactly what they look like and how exactly they differ from females. In some breeds of ducks it is quite easy to distinguish a female from a male, but not in all cases these features are obvious, so it is difficult for novice poultry farmers to find a male among the general flock. To do this, it is necessary to study some features of the body structure of ducks and drakes - this is what we will talk about today.

The male specimen is usually called a drake. This definition should not be confused with a separate breed or subspecies of poultry. This is just a term indicating the gender of an individual.

Male duck - drake

External differences between females and males

Females and males have some differences in appearance, by which they are identified:

The difficulty in identifying ducks and drakes by body weight alone is that females do not always weigh less. First of all, it depends on the type of feeding and care of the birds. Some females are too plump, and in order not to confuse them with males, it is necessary to use all methods of sex determination in combination.

Important! You can determine the sex of a duck using a special ultrasonic device. To begin with, it is tuned to certain frequencies that birds of one sex or another cannot tolerate. When the device is turned on, they will begin to become restless.

Video - How to distinguish a drake from a female

Differences in Behavior

There is one more no less effective method determination of sex in birds - observation of behavior. Usually males do not try to walk ahead of females; more often they let them pass. Some drakes can behave very aggressively - the wayward character is manifested in the dominant individuals in the general flock.

Conflict situations mainly occur only between males, because females have a calmer disposition; they do not strive for fights with other individuals. Characteristic behavioral signs appear only at the age of 8-12 weeks - ducklings of any sex are also not prone to interspecific aggression.

However, even based on such features, it is impossible to accurately determine the sex of the bird. In some cases, if the flock is formed incorrectly, females can behave like drakes, and the most correct thing would be to determine the sex of ducklings based on sexual characteristics, even before the birds settle.

Sexual characteristics

Experienced farmers prefer to determine the sex of individuals based on sexual characteristics, because this method is considered the most reliable. Thanks to obvious sexual differences, it is possible to determine the male or female identity of even day-old chicks.

Table 1. detailed instructions by gender determination

Step, no.	Description	Photo
1	You need to take the bird and place it on its back on a flat surface.
2	Then you will need to slightly pull the skin near the cloaca towards the sternum.
3	You need to take a closer look. The drake has a small appendage called a vestigial penis. In females, two rounded growths can be seen in this place.

This method of determining sex seems quite simple, but a poultry breeder without appropriate experience will not always be able to identify a drake by its cloaca. But over time, you can master this technique, after more than a dozen birds have been examined.

Differences in voice

Not all farmers listen to the sounds that poultry makes. But it is worth noting that ducks are characterized by more than just a quack sound. Birds transmit information to each other using the following sounds:

• cackling;
• hissing;
• whistling.

With such signals, individuals communicate with each other, sometimes sorting out relationships. Females and drakes have different trachea structures, so females can only quack, while males hiss and sometimes whistle. You can notice such features already on the 30-40th day of life.

Differences between females and males of different breeds

Many ducks have individual breed characteristics, which make it easy to distinguish a drake. You will have to carefully examine the individual and observe its behavior.

Table 2. Differences between females and males of different breeds

Breed	Distinctive features
	The drake has rounder feathers at the ends of its tail.
	Muscovy ducks (indo-ducks) have characteristic difference in the form of a reddish growth above the beak. In addition, there are spots on the side of the head. In females, these growths are quite light in color and the spots are barely noticeable. In addition, drakes have a larger build.
	Drakes and females of the Peking breed have white feather color, so they are not distinguished by this feature. In addition, there are only minimal differences in body weight between individuals - about 200-300 grams. Therefore, males are distinguished, as in the case of the Bashkir duck, by the structure of their tail feathers.
	It is these individuals that are easiest to distinguish by body weight. Because the difference in weight between a female and a male is 1.5-2 kilograms. In addition, the drake has stronger paws.
	Recognizing wild males is quite easy. Because, unlike females, they have motley plumage. And females, in turn, often have brown plumage.

Why should you find out your gender?

Probably every poultry farmer knows that in order to achieve maximum productivity when raising birds, it is important to timely distinguish them by gender. We can conclude that gender determination is necessary for the following reasons:

Males require increased nutrition for active growth, so when compiling a diet, it is a good idea to know the sex of the birds. If ducks are bred for eggs, then it is the female ducks that are fed with much more calories and more variety.

Choosing a breeding male

The selection of breeding males is an important event, on which the health of the brood and the overall productivity of the poultry farm will depend. Choose breeding male necessary even among small chicks. Usually healthy individuals behave actively; they are already somewhat larger than females, have a good appetite and push weaker and smaller chicks away from the feeder.

Drakes are placed in a separate poultry house, starting at the age of 150-170 days. They reach sexual maturity closer to 7 months (in some breeds a little later), so it is recommended to choose males several months older than females.

When choosing a drake for further reproduction, you should pay attention to the following criteria:

• skeletal strength;
• degree of muscle development;
• uniform plumage throughout the body (there should be no bald spots);
• width of the sternum and degree of expression of the keel;
• body weight of at least 4-5 kilograms (depending on the characteristics of the breed).

In addition, when choosing a drake for breeding, some poultry farmers advise paying attention to the color of the plumage. It is believed that purebred birds have a single color (black, white, gray, blue, brown). While variegated feathers are a sign of numerous crossings.

Using a breeding male for breeding

Fertilized eggs can only be obtained by mating males and females, but individuals of some breeds may exhibit little sexual activity (for example, Muscovy ducks). The maximum fertilization of eggs is observed in the spring period of the year (more than 98%), and in the summer it decreases significantly (50%).

Typically, drakes are used for breeding for no more than three years in a row. After which their sexual functions begin to decline, and the herd should be renewed.

Why is there no sexual estrus in drakes?

Usually all healthy males have obvious signs sexual heat, which is why they begin to “trample” the females. Lack of such behavioral characteristics often associated with the season (sexual hunting weakens in autumn and winter). However, this process can be influenced by excessive weight gain or starvation, in which the male lacks vitamins.

Sometimes these signs are absent in females and males when forming a new herd, until they get used to each other. Therefore, you will have to wait some time for the drake to begin to show activity. If a young male is not interested in females for a long time, they change it.

Feeding drakes

Drakes are raised for further breeding or for meat production. In both the first and second cases, birds need a balanced diet.

The following types of food for males are distinguished:

All these components must be present in the daily diet of birds. Their exact number will depend on the purpose of breeding individuals (for meat or for breeding), as well as on the season (in summer, birds consume more green food).

Cereals

Cereals are considered the basis of the diet of any poultry, and in particular ducks. They contain valuable nutrients, and they should be included in the bird menu regardless of the season.

The benefits of cereals for birds:

Important! All grain crops are absorbed by the body of waterfowl by more than 80%, which is significantly higher than that of chickens.

Juicy feed

Succulent feed constitutes the main diet of poultry in summer period of the year. This allows you to significantly reduce the cost of grain, because birds are often allowed to roam independently in a clearing (better if it is near a reservoir).

Ingredients of succulent feed:

Important! When feeding drakes for meat, you should not let the birds go out on their own too often - this way they waste energy and lose body weight.

Animal feed

Wild ducks often feed on various insects, mollusks, and other aquatic inhabitants. Therefore, it is allowed to introduce food of animal origin into the diet of poultry:

1. Fish flour. Quite a popular product for feeding birds with a long shelf life. Correct concentration fishmeal in the diet allows you to quickly gain body weight.
2. Meat and bone meal. This product is used to feed week-old young animals. Due to this, individuals are poisoned for slaughter already at the age of 60 days.

Some farmers prefer to introduce dairy products to the birds' menu. This includes cottage cheese (low-fat) and whey.

Mineral supplements

Mineral supplements are necessary to normalize the functioning of the digestive tract in birds and to strengthen the skeleton, therefore the following components are introduced into the diet of birds:

Important! Mineral components must be given to individuals in limited quantities. Excess calcium will lead to problems with the digestive system.

Let's sum it up

To increase the profitability of farming, it is important to know some of the nuances of keeping birds and distinguish them by gender. Otherwise, proper nutrition will ensure maximum productivity of drakes.

Video - Drake

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. In any case, the right 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 In terms of external features, it is significantly different 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:

• nice delicate taste meat that 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 rib cage 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! At wrong mode feeding 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 at all different, 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 because external differences Ducklings don't.

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 gender 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 precisely such 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 is discreet Brown color, allowing her to camouflage herself 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.