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

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

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

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

Indian ducks and their main differences

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

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

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

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

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

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

In most breeds of ducks, the 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. Once you become familiar with certain external signs and character traits of the 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 this is a drake by the following characteristic signs:

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

Females can be recognized by the following features:

• unlike the drake, they have no feathering on the beard;
• the shape of the forehead is trapezoidal;
• there are no curls on the tail;
• the plumage is monochromatic and of muted colors.

Almost always the duck 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 traits

You can distinguish a duck from a drake by certain character traits. Males almost always stay away from the female and let her pass ahead while walking.

If you take a closer look at the males, you would notice that they are more active - pugnacity and noise. This is especially true for a dominant individual who wants to emphasize her leadership. The male expresses this behavior in relation to other males.

Ducks have a calm character, they do not have conflicts and fly much less often.

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

Sexual characteristics

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

This method helps to distinguish one-day-old ducklings. To determine, the bird is placed on its back on a flat surface, then the skin is gently pulled away from the cloaca towards the abdomen. Male ducklings have an underdeveloped or developed sexual organ, and ducklings 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 - quack, 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 distinguish a duck from a drake. But for this you will need a device to extract sound.

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

Breed characteristics

Each breed has its own qualities and characteristics by which you can distinguish a drake from a duck:

1. Males of the domestic Bashkir breed have feathers with curls 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 size. Wild males have bright plumage with green and dark blue colors, while females have brown or brown colored feathers. The average weight of drakes is about 2 kg, females - 1.5-2 kg.
3. Male domestic Muscovy ducks (indo-ducks or mute ducks) contain a distinct red bump-shaped growth above their beak. There are red spots on both sides of the head. Females of this breed have tumors above the beak that are smaller in size and orange in color. There are also small orange spots around the eyes. The female is always smaller in size than the male.
4. It is impossible to distinguish a young drake from a domestic Peking duck by plumage, since they have identical, snow-white feather color. 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 sex will be the tail. In drakes of the Peking breed, as well as in males of the Bashkir breed, it contains curls, but in females they are absent.
5. Favorite. The main differences between the drakes of this breed are their heavy weight (about 5 kg); in females it is no more than 3 kg. There are other differences - males have a long, stocky neck, large, well-developed paws and an angular head. Ducks have smooth and more delicate shapes.

A domestic duck is a bird that people keep in their backyards or farmlands. Unlike its ancestors, wild ducks, poultry is a poor flyer and cannot travel long distances.

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

It is known that keeping ducks is not at all expensive, and given that the bird is also hardy, there is practically no hassle with it. Farms that engage in industrial-scale breeding and rearing of ducks usually try to locate their farms near water bodies. Since long-term presence of ducks on the water has a very beneficial effect on their general condition and behavior. Some farms that raise ducks for meat use the technique of raising poultry without walking, indoors. Ducklings from one day old 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 raise 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.

By what characteristics are male and female ducks distinguished?

To identify ducks by sex, you can use the following common methods:

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

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

No matter what 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.

Females have a rounder head and a shorter neck than the drake.

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

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

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

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

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

Behavior of adolescents and adults

It is possible to distinguish a duck from a drake by behavior, but only at the age of 1-1.5 months. Young teenagers 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.

You can also distinguish a duck from a drake by the sounds they make. Already at 2 months, the birds' voice begins to change. And the ducks usually begin to quack, and the males hiss and whistle.

Features of the structure of the genital organs

The most proven method for determining the sex of a duckling at a very early age is the sex determination 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 facing you. Gently stretch the distance around the anus towards the abdomen. If there is a drake in front of you, you will see a small spiral-shaped penis. A duck has no such surprises. It will be possible to notice spherical flat tubercles on her.

Traditional methods for determining the sex of ducklings

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

Another method involves observing chicks in a flock. If a duckling behaves cockily, drives others away from the feeder and does not give other ducklings peace, then it is a 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 becoming thicker and longer. The drake's head is also larger in size.

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

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

Beginning poultry farmers need to know how to distinguish a duck from a drake. Such a task will initially seem impossible, especially in cases where we are talking about newly born chicks. In reality, everything is much simpler. Experienced breeders identify ducks accurately. There is far more than one way to determine the sex of birds.

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Advantages of gender selection

By knowing the difference between a male and a female, a poultry farmer can maximize bird productivity. This selection provides a huge number of advantages, including:

The difference between a duck and a drake: features of appearance

Among the main differences between drakes and ducks, experienced poultry farmers identify the following external signs:

It is not always possible to distinguish females from males using this method. This is due to the fact that birds may have certain differences in physique, and the plumage is not always clearly expressed. In many ways, the colors of ducks depend on their breed. Often, white ducks are kept on the farmstead, the color of which does not differ depending on gender. They affect the appearance of birds and the conditions in which they are kept.

Features of behavior

In cases where it was not possible to determine the sex of birds based on their external data, the behavioral characteristics of the individuals are also taken into account. This method works with an accuracy of up to 80%.

One hundred percent accuracy cannot be achieved due to the fact that the sex ratio in the flock is often incorrectly selected. The imbalance of this structure leads to the fact that females take on the behavior style of drakes, while males can imitate ducks in everything.

Among the characteristic behavioral features of ducks of different sexes, the following are distinguished:

1. In the process of observing young birds, it is possible to notice the most energetic and active chick, which often gets involved in fights and behaves very impudently. It will definitely be a drake. In order to find out the sex of the remaining individuals, you just need to observe a little more. Those chicks that the obstinate baby does not allow near are also males.
2. Drakes behave like gentlemen towards female representatives. They always let the females pass first. Only when the ducks are hatching eggs can the males show gallantry towards each other.
3. During sexual activity, males become incredibly beautiful. Their plumage is much more magnificent at this time. The drake seeks the attention of his chosen one by observing all the rules of bird etiquette. He proves himself to be a caring and attentive partner. In order to prevent the female from getting to another drake, the male does not leave her for a minute, thereby proving his right to possession.

The nuances of bird behavior in a flock are considered very conditional. Often, in cases where the proportions of males and females are incorrect, same-sex couples are formed. During the mating process, ducks are able to imitate males and perform the same actions.

Vocal Features

The idea that ducks can only quack is erroneous. There are many more ways to transmit information in a bird community. You can hear cackling, hissing, whistling, trills and trumpet calls from them. Females can even swear and laugh.

Due to the structural features of the trachea of ​​males, they produce louder sounds. Starting from the age of one month, one can hear gusty, cheerful quack sounds from ducks. Drakes are less talkative. Often they hiss and turn to whistling.

Ultrasonic sex determination

If you have a device that emits ultrasound, you can select a frequency that arouses interest in birds of a certain sex. After part of the flock has gathered near the source of the sound, these individuals are marked and removed. At the next stage, it is only necessary to classify the female and male groups.

Japanese method

This method makes it possible to determine the sex of chicks with almost one hundred percent accuracy. Even newly hatched chicks can be sorted by gender using this method. All manipulations in this case must be carried out with the utmost caution, as there is a risk of injury to the chicks. After a while, the poultry farmer will be able to determine the sex of the chicks in this way with an accuracy of one hundred percent.

You need to do the following:

Determining the sex of ducklings: additional methods

It is much more difficult to distinguish ducklings by gender, since the visual differences between them are almost invisible. Along with the Japanese method, in this case, gender is determined in the following ways.

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

Definition

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

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

Comparison

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusions website

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