Better Farming Series 39 - Raising Ducks 1: How to Begin (FAO, 1990, 73 p.): The ducks: How to tell the difference between female and male ducks

Better Farming Series 39 - Raising Ducks 1: How to Begin (FAO, 1990, 73 p.)

(introduction...)

Preface

Introduction

(introduction...)

What do you need to raise ducks?

Learning about ducks

Where can you raise ducks?

What kind of ducks can you raise?

What can ducks eat?

How many ducks should you raise?

How to keep ducks safe and well

Now you must decide

How to begin

Choosing a place to raise ducks

Building a shelter for your ducks

The floor of a duck shelter

Building nests

The ducks

(introduction...)

Choosing ducks for your flock

How to choose good ducks

How to tell the difference between female and male ducks

How to handle your ducks

After you get your ducks

Growing your own baby ducks

(introduction...)

Hatching your own eggs

Setting the female duck

The baby ducks

Putting your new baby ducks with the flock

When to use or sell the meat

Taking care of your ducks

Further improvement

How to tell the difference between female and male ducks

110. When you first begin with a flock of 6 ducks you must have 1 male duck to be able to grow your own baby ducks.

5 female ducks and 1 male duck

111. So, it is very important to be able to tell the difference between female and male ducks. You can tell the difference

· by listening to the quack made by the duck
· by looking at the feathers near the tail of the duck.

Listening to the quack

112. If you are going to begin with ducks of 8 weeks or older, you can tell female from male ducks by listening to them quack.

113. When ducks have reached this age, the quack made by a female is very different from the quack made by a male

114. Gently hold the duck by the tail until i1 begins to quack.

A female duck will make a hard, loud quack.
A male duck will make a soft, rough quack.

Quack at the female and male duck

Looking at the feathers

115. If you are going to begin with ducks of 4 months or over, you can tell female from male ducks by the feathers on their tails.

116. When ducks have reached this age, male ducks have curled feathers on their backs near the tail and female ducks have none.

Flocks at the female and male duck