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Indians: how to distinguish a drake from a duck? How not to confuse a male with a female: we analyze the distinctive features of ducks

You can tell a duck from a drake by how it looks. The plumage of females is less bright than that of males. You can also watch the behavior of birds. The male usually lets the female go first. At the same time, in the Beijing breed, both males and females are distinguished by white plumage. It is impossible to distinguish them on this basis, therefore it is necessary to focus on the tail of birds. In males, the ends of several feathers are bent in the form of a ringlet. Another important indicator is the noise in the flock. Boys usually have quieter voices.

External differences between drakes and ducks

The correct ratio of males and females in the livestock allows you to achieve maximum productivity. Depending on the goals that the farmer has set for himself - raising birds for meat or getting offspring - the ratio of ducks and drakes will be different. And if the poultry breeder knows how to distinguish the sex of birds, it will be easier for him to maintain their balance in the livestock - thus he will achieve better results.

The appearance of drakes, in comparison with ducks, has the following distinctive features:

brighter color of feathers;
large size;
a wide forehead, expanding from the beak upwards and resembling a triangle;
feather crest on the neck;
big beak;
feather beard.

It is not always correct to determine the sex by the size of the bird, since this sign is determined by the conditions of keeping and feeding birds. Sometimes it happens that drakes are the same size as ducks, and sometimes even smaller.

If you look closely at the shape of the forehead, you can see that the forehead of the male is quite sharply expanded upwards from the beak and has a triangular shape. In the female, on the contrary, the forehead has a smooth outline and resembles a trapezoid.

Differences in behavior

Ducks and drakes behave differently. If you watch the livestock, you will notice that some birds let their other relatives go ahead, while they themselves stay behind and a little to the side. This behavior is typical of males. Drakes always let the ducks go ahead, and they are also distinguished by absurdity and pugnacity.

The most cocky in the livestock is the alpha male. So he emphasizes his status, his dominant position. Continuously proving his superiority to everyone else, he behaves aggressively towards other males. Ducks behave calmly and do not enter into conflicts. As for the voice, females make more noise than males: they like to quack, doing it sharply and loudly. Drakes, on the contrary, hiss softly.

If there is a gender disproportion in the livestock, a shift in behavior patterns is possible: ducks can begin to behave like drakes, and vice versa. The optimal ratio of males and females is 1:4, that is, there should be four ducks for each drake.

It should be noted that it is possible to recognize the sex of a bird by external and behavioral signs only from the second or third month of their life. Until this age, ducklings look and behave the same.

An ultrasonic portable device can be used to quickly separate the livestock by gender. With it, you can choose a certain frequency that is unpleasant only for drakes or only for ducks. When the device is turned on, individuals of the same sex will step aside.

Differences in the structure of the genital organs

You can determine the sex of this method even in the smallest ducklings. For this, the chick should be placed with its back on the palm of one hand, and with the fingers of the other, gently pull the skin from the cloaca to the stomach. The female has two small, spherical growths at this location, while the male has a small vestigial penis called a pseudopenis.

At first, it will be difficult for a novice poultry breeder to catch the difference in the structure of the genital organs of small ducklings, but with the advent of experience, sex determination in birds in this way will not be difficult. In addition, this method gives the most accurate results.

Features of sex determination in different breeds of ducks

Depending on the breed, birds may have additional external features that help determine gender:

1. Bashkir ducks. If you look closely at the feathers on their tail, you will notice that in some birds individual feathers curl in rings, while in others all feathers are straight. The presence of curled feathers is inherent only to drakes.
2. Muscovy ducks (there are other names for this breed, for example, indo-ducks or mute ducks). Representatives of this breed have a pineal growth above the beak and spots on the sides. In drakes, the growth and spots are larger and have a bright red color. In females, the growth and spots are small and have a pale orange color. Distinctive feature of this breed is a big difference in the dimensions of drakes and ducks: males are twice as large as females.
3. Peking ducks. In this breed, it is very difficult to distinguish a male from a female in appearance, since they have the same snow-white plumage. It is also not easy to distinguish them in size - the male is quite a bit larger than the female, so it will not be possible to visually catch the difference in size. The only difference is that the feathers on the tail of the drake are bent into a ring, while in females they are straight.
4. Favorite. The drakes of this breed are very large and weigh about 5 kg. Females are small, their weight rarely exceeds 3 kg. Also, like other breeds, in drakes, the head has a sharp, angular outline, their neck is longer than that of females, and their legs are more developed.
5. Wild ducks. Their gender differences are immediately visible. Males have bright plumage, which immediately catches the eye, while females have an unprepossessing appearance - their plumage is brown and brown. This difference in color is also found in many domestic breeds, but in wild ducks it is much more pronounced.

For those who breed birds, it is important to know the number of males and females in a duck flock. The difficulty lies in the fact that ducklings do not have pronounced sexual characteristics. In this article we will talk about how to distinguish a duck from a drake.

In order to distribute the chicks according to sex, pay attention to the following points:

external differences;
characteristic features in behavior;
gender characteristics.

For some species, outwardly, it is easy to distinguish a duck from a drake. The first thing to do in order to separate females and males is to take a closer look at the birds: drakes are always larger than ducks. In addition, the males are painted in a bright color and, in comparison with the females, look quite elegant. Although the color is due to belonging to the breed. Ducks have duller and more subdued tones in their plumage. On the neck of the drake there is a spectacular crest of long beautiful feathers of bright color. Males also have a "beard".

The head of the drake is longer, with a wide forehead, expanding from the beak in the shape of a triangle. The females have a trapezoidal extension. The skin above the beak is bright red, there is a pineal growth above the beak. Already at three months, drakes can boast of tail curls (several feathers that twist into a ring).

However, all these differences can be seen already in the formed individual. The color of feathers in different breeds may vary. For example, in domestic ducks, both sexes have snow-white plumage.

Character and behavior

Regardless external features and color, you can try to distinguish females from males by behavior. The males have clearly gentlemanly habits, they always try to let the ducks go ahead, to stay behind. But while the females are incubating the eggs, the drakes let each other pass in turn. Sometimes it also happens that males copy the behavior of females, and they, in turn, behave like males. Thus, this method, like the others, does not give a 100% guarantee.

If you carefully observe the ducklings, you will definitely notice an active little fighter and impudent one. It's definitely a drake. His brethren are also not difficult to spot, as he will not allow them to compete with him and approach food.

The male is also easy to identify during the mating season, when he is transformed: the plumage acquires a brighter color, becomes lush. He makes every effort to win the heart of a beautiful lady, becomes a very attentive, caring and gallant partner. He will always be next to the duck, not allowing anyone to approach her.

Sexual features

In males, a 3-4 mm fold can be seen, which is called the pseudopenis. To detect it, you need to make several massaging movements in the area of the cloaca. If, after the manipulations, nothing like a pseudopenis appeared, then you have a duck in your hands. This method of distinguishing sex is suitable even for ducklings that are 24 hours old.

How to distinguish by voice

When revealing gender, you can use voice prompts. If you think that quacking is all they can do, then you are wrong. Ducks are talkative and cheerful. They can cackle and trill, laugh and even swear. In males, there is an extension in the trachea that amplifies the volume of sound. However, drakes are not as talkative as ducks. They mostly hiss and whistle.

Since the volume of sound is different between the sexes, an ultrasound method can be used for gender separation. Each gender has its own sound frequency. By placing individuals near the ultrasonic apparatus alternately, it is possible to seat individuals of different sexes in separate cells.

Determine the gender of the duck

Since external differences and behavioral patterns appear in ducklings upon reaching the age of three months, determining the sex of a duckling is not an easy task. Some owners use the ultrasonic method, which we discussed above. The device, tuned to a different frequency of sound, attracts separately males, and separately females. To avoid confusion, individuals of different sexes should be marked in a certain way.

You can use gender identification, the so-called Japanese method. For this, the duckling is taken in the left hand and directed with its head towards itself, the tummy is massaged. Fingers first jewelry open the anus, and then twist it. In ducks, only flat, spherical growths can be observed, and in males, a rudimentary penis. This is a fairly accurate method, but it all depends on the experience of the poultry farmer. In addition, you need to be extremely careful not to harm the chicks.

You can still use the "grandmother's" methods. To do this, take the duckling by the legs and turn it upside down. The duck will hang motionless, while the drake breaks out and spins. When the chicks are 7 days old, then the males have a thick neck and a larger head, and small ducks have a thinner neck.

Differences in different breeds

Different breeds have their own characteristics that can be used in determining the sex.

Muscovy ducks by outward signs may be divided by gender. The male is larger, with a well-developed chest. The color is bright and attractive. Females have a more modest plumage. Unlike males, they have a thin graceful neck. Also, males have large red pronounced spots on the sides of the head, as well as a red growth on the beak. Males have a strong and muscular neck.

Peking ducks and Bashkir ducks can easily distinguish males from females by the feathers bent on the tail. In wild ducks, differences in color are very obvious - males are bright, and females are dull gray. In males of the Favorit breed, the paws (like the whole body) are larger.

For Successful Muscovy Duck Breeding Special attention should be given to males. The quality of future offspring, its productivity, color, order and discipline in the "family" depend on them. The mass of drakes indoutok significantly exceeds the mass of females. On average, it is 5-5.8 kg.

How to distinguish an indo duck from a drake

There are several methods for determining indo-children by gender in early age. For example:

according to the genital genitalia - the chick should be placed with its back on the palm, it should be with its head towards you. Stretch the skin around the cloaca. In the drake, one can observe a rudimentary process in the form of a spiral - the penis, the size is from 0.5-2 mm. In females, the process is absent, only growths in the form of balls will be visible. This method is considered one of the most difficult for beginner poultry farmers, but more effective among specialists;
in behavior - starting from 10-15 days, males begin to aggressively manifest themselves. The most nimble, pugnacious, lively will be the future leader of the pack. Once you've identified it, watch it for a bit. Those with whom he will compete will certainly be males;
by plumage - the color of plumage of drakes looks a couple of tones darker than the feather color of females.

How to distinguish a male Indian from a female

It is much easier to distinguish adults among themselves by sex than chicks. There are several ways:

anatomical structure - drakes are much larger than musky ducks, the average weight is 5-5.8 kg, in females - 1.4-3.2 kg. Males have a strong skeleton, a thick, strong and wide neck, a wide chest, powerful and massive wings;
plumage color - duller and more uniform colors belong to females, drakes have a bright one;
feathers - in the tail area you can see feathers twisted into a ring;
behavior - males are intelligent, they always let the females go ahead, and they themselves prefer to move behind them;
by sounds - drakes emit a very loud hiss, during anger, in parallel with the hiss, they raise their crest;
corals - growths in males have a bright color and look quite massive, located in the area of \u200b\u200bthe eyes and beak;
Muscovy duck males practically do not fly, unlike females.

How to choose a musky duck drake per tribe

The selection of males for a tribe is an important event, since further offspring and its productivity will depend on this. The selection of drakes should begin from birth. They must be healthy, have excellent immunity, active, lively, nimble.

The best males at 180 days of age are placed in a separate room before the start of winter. A balanced diet should be provided, with a special emphasis on protein-rich foods. Puberty of the indoo comes at 6-8 months, but in males it is somewhat late, so it is recommended to choose drakes for 1-1.5 months of older queens. Most often they are selected from broods born in May-June.

When choosing a drake for a tribe, you must adhere to certain morphophysiological parameters. He must have:

strong and powerful bones;
well-developed muscle and connective tissue;
broad chest with a well-developed keel;
evenly distributed plumage with long feathers in the wing area; low legs;
very bright growths sliding over the eyes and beak;
the corresponding live weight is 4.2-4.6 kg.

Many poultry farmers, when choosing males for breeding purposes, pay attention to their color. It should be closer to solid colors: black, blue, white, brown, blue-white, black-and-white. It is believed that this feature is characterized by pedigree origin. They should quickly go through the molting period, but it is not desirable to speed it up. This can affect the sexual activity of males and reduce the ability to fertilize.

How many females per male

In large industrial herds, the load per drake is up to four queens. AT backyard this number is reduced to three, sometimes to two females. It is more expedient to create several families at once in the fall so that they get to know each other and get used to each other.

When creating a musk family, zootechnical rules must be followed. The area of the premises for one family should be 1-1.5 square meters, preferably without proximity to other types of poultry grown in the backyard. The microclimate corresponding to a certain time of the year must be maintained.

How many years does a male fertilize an indout

To obtain fertilized eggs, ducks must be mated with drakes. Musk males show their sexual activity rather unstable. Therefore, the fertility of eggs in the spring months (April, May) is higher than the fertility by the end of summer. In the first case, it reaches 94-97%, in the second it sharply decreases to 52-65%.

It is recommended to use drakes for three breeding cycles, then their reproductive functions decrease. The fertility factor lasts up to ten days - this is due to the period of life and activity of sperm, which decreases every day.

Why does the male indo-datka not trample the females

In a normal healthy state, the male without fail must trample the females. Refusal of this occupation may be caused by low estrus, which is associated with seasonality, for example, autumn or winter period. This can also be affected by the overweight of the drake. A malfunction in the body can be caused by a malfunction of the testicles or the absence, lack of vitamin E in the body.

In this case, special attention should be paid to feeding the drakes, it should be balanced and rich in all nutrients. If the Indoch family was formed recently, then the lack of a mating process may be caused by fear of each other. From all of the above, we can conclude that the cultivation, maintenance, breeding and selection of drakes for a tribe is a responsible and very important process, on which the genetic potential of future offspring will depend.

Instruction

Definition by the development of the larynx
Take the duckling in your right hand and feel its chest. Move his head aside, slightly raise his beak so that his neck is even. Attach the thumb of your left hand to rest on the last cervical vertebrae. Press lightly with the index finger of the left hand on the front of the duck breast and define the triangle formed by the bones of the collarbone, the front end of the sternum and shoulder blade.

Determine if a tubercle about 4 mm in diameter is palpable in the center of this triangle, moving up and down when the beak moves up and down, if so, then this is a drake. In the female, this tubercle is absent.

Definition by voice
Take the bird in your hands, this will provoke it to cry. Listen to the bird's voice. The duck will begin to quack piercingly, while the drake will emit loud hissing sounds mixed with a whistle. Such vocal data is explained by the presence of a saccular expansion in the fork of the trachea.

Definition by genitals
The male duck has one anatomical feature that is not inherent in most birds - a pseudopenis that can turn outward. This method, of course, requires certain skills.

Stretch the outside of the anus with the thumb of the left hand and the index and thumb of the right hand.
Place the thumb of the right hand on the edge of the cloaca and move it up, while the cloaca will open and the drake's genitals will be exposed in the form of a curved fold 3-4 mm in size.
You can simply pull the tail to the back, in most cases this will be enough to detect sex differences.

Definition by appearance.

You can visually try to distinguish a drake from a duck from 2-3.

Look at the neck of the bird, it is more graceful, the shape of the head is close to round, and

Many beginners may say that a drake duck, that is, a male, is practically no different from a female. It is especially difficult to distinguish them at a young age. However, it seems so only at first glance. People who breed and raise birds can quickly and accurately tell where he is and where she is. Let's find out their secret together.

Distinctive features

The first and most important distinguishing feature of a drake from a duck is a brighter and more elegant plumage. Of course, the color depends on the breed and type of duck. So, for example, in wild ducks, the plumage of males has more pronounced dark shades, a black head or wings, and a dark upper body. In females, the plumage is less elegant, more muted and lighter shades predominate. Comparison of ducks, see the photo.

Also, in addition to the color of the feathers, the distinguishing features include elongated feathers on the neck, spectacular tufts, a beard, the color and shape of the beak, and body size. It's all about wild ducks. Well, how to distinguish a male and a female in poultry, because most domestic ducks are white in color ?! Here it is true that the drake and the duck do not have obvious external differences. Therefore, in this case, other distinctive features are used.

The first is body size. Like most birds and animals, the male duck has a larger build. For example, a Muscovy duck can weigh up to 5 kilograms, while a female can weigh no more than 3 kilograms. Males also have a larger head, a wider back, muscular legs, a more powerful and wider neck. This is clearly visible in the photo.

Another way to find out the sex of a poultry is to listen to its voice. As a rule, ducks emit a quacking, perky, slightly nervous cry, but the drake, on the contrary, is more shy in its emotions. Most often, the male does not quack, but only hisses or makes a slightly whistling sound.

How to distinguish ducklings?

In wild and domestic ducks, all sexual characteristics appear only after 2-3 months. But what about before, if you need to select females from males? In this case, a few more secrets can come to the aid of the owner. The first is also some external differences. Drakes already at a week of age have a thicker and longer neck, as well as a large head.

If this method does not help, you can look under the duck's tail. Unlike all other types of poultry, drakes have one striking feature - a pseudopenis. At a certain position of the cloaca, it can protrude outward, which will help to understand the sex of the bird. To see it, you need to stretch the anus a little with both hands, then move the edge of the cloaca up with your thumb. A certain fold of about 3-4 millimeters should appear.

Also, in order to check the drake, it is enough to lift the tail up towards the back. In such cases, the male genital organ also becomes clearly visible. If there are no signs of a pseudopenis, then you have a duck in front of you.

What else is worth knowing?

So, we have examined the main and most obvious differences between drake ducks and females. But there are some other less significant ones that you should also know:

the head of females in profile has a rounded shape, but in males it is oblong;
in male ducks, the feathers on the tail form a kind of ring, which ducks do not have;
in flight, the drake tries to stay a little behind the female;
the neck of ducks is more graceful and has a more pronounced bend, while in males it is straight and wide.

These are, perhaps, all the signs that can distinguish birds of different sexes. We hope that in the future you will no longer have problems in this matter.