karencopas Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 hi all, i'm just wondering if different coloured beaks would indicate different sex ducklings? i've three yellow indian runner ducklings all 4 weeks old they are gradually turning white and one has a yellow beak while the other two have pink beaks. Could this mean a drake and 2 ducks? I do keep listening carefully to them and think my yellow beak may be quieter but i may be imagining things! i look forward to your thoughts thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miller30 Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 No sorry if only it was that easy i can normally tell with indian runners by 8 weeks leanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karencopas Posted June 15, 2012 Author Share Posted June 15, 2012 oh thought maybe the beaks were the clue! never mind few more weeks to wait then, think i heard a proper quack this afternoon so that was good how do you tell at 8 weeks and do you think i'd be able to tell bearing in mind i'm learning everything duck from scratch as have no experience at all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miller30 Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 Ducks will quack loudly and the drakes will make like a raspy sound if you go on youtube im sure you will beable to find videos of the sound of a duck and drake hopefully you will have more girls than boys as i have 1 drake to 5 girls and he can be a right nightmare in breeding season plus drakes are as hard to rehome as some cockbirds as they can be a right pain leanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karencopas Posted June 15, 2012 Author Share Posted June 15, 2012 hi leanne, will keep listening closely to my ducks :)i've read somewhere you often get more drakes when you incubate is this true? one of my 6 is bigger than all the others could this mean anything? also can having only 1 drake be problematic do you think? every day i think there is soo much i don't know!! i feel like i read constantly and am becoming obsessed with ducks-mine and everyone elses! can you please advise me on feeding i've started to introduce growers pellets today should i begin to include anything else such as grit/oyster shell/wheat/treats? sorry for all the questions and many thanks for all your help and advice karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miller30 Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 Hi dont worry ive had my ducks for 6 years now but i knew nothing about them when i got mine you just learn as you go along it would be great if you had just one drake and the rest were girls also ive always hatched ducklings under broodys and get lucky with only one drake so i dont know about incubating them. I feed mine plain chick crumb until they are 3 weeks and then move onto growers and then layers at about 15 weeks even my drake eats this you can sprinkle some grit on the food it wont do them any harm i wouldnt bother with treats just wait until you get them outside and the weather is nice you can put them in a run on the grass with a paint roller tray they will love it ducklings are very hardy i remember moving mine outside when they were young only about 6 weeks and we had a really bad thunder storm they wouldnt go in their house they were having to much fun i was sure they were going to be dead the next day as they were soaking but no they were fine also the largerone could indicate a drake as when my 3 indian runners were small one was extra big which i thought was a drake and he was thats why his name is big bird his wives are daisy,buttons,pepper,shortie and quack quack leanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
