Girl or boy

Is it a girl or a boy.... I’m pretty sure it’s a girl... but just want clarity on it.... “she’s” 5 weeks old

Does she quack?  Or does he give a lame, raspy squeak?

I think that's a girl though it's easier to tell in a group.

Michael Fundaro wrote:Does she quack?  Or does he give a lame, raspy squeak?

↑ This! ↑ Unless the duck is a breed or cross where the color/markings are different for male vs female, the only way I've ever been able to tell is by the sound. Pick it up and if it makes a big "UTT!" sound, then it's a girl. If it doesn't make a big sound, it's probably a boy. Some ducks are harder to discern between than others, and it's easier if you have a few to compare the sounds of. But, if it makes a good "UTT!" sound, then you can be pretty sure it's a girl.


EDIT: Wait, is the duck a muscovy? I just noticed the duck in the background was a muscovy, and I know nothing about IDing them! They're very different from the mallards that I have.

I think it is a girl. In another week or two a drakes tail feathers will show a curl where a female is smoother.

Michael Fundaro wrote:Does she quack?  Or does he give a lame, raspy squeak?

This is a Muscovy duck, so the "quack" system definitely doesn't work. There's a reason I call all my Mallard domesticated birds "Noisy Ducks". It is ABSOLUTELY the quickest way to tell Noisy Ducks from Drakes. If I've got a gaggle of them though, I'm standing there in the field trying to see who's doing the quacking and who isn't. It's as if they *know* what I'm trying to do!

For Muscovy, one indication is the size of the feet. Girl feet will be smaller in proportion to the body than boy feet. I would guess the picture is a girl, but I wouldn't guarantee it when there's only one and it's only 5 weeks. The problem is that there's a fair bit of genetic variability - white Muscovy that have "French White" genes in them tend to be more delicate than some of the other white breeds for example, but I've even had two sisters in the past where one was rounder and the other narrower and longer.

Definitely a girl.. lol she nearly has all her feathers (she’s pretty much turned from a yellow duckling to a white duck) and she peeps/trills like the other females every time they all get together.. I saw some older male ducklings the other day at a pet store and they don’t even have feathers yet... but they were twice her size... thanks everyone for the clarification...  

Has she got a name yet? My young female Muscovy was always chasing after flies in the field, so she got the name "Venus" as in "Venus Fly Trap"!

Her name is flash... for obvious reasons... she’s a fast little thing... tried calling her felicity and she tried biting me so flash it is.. always wags her tail when I call that too...