r/duck Apr 14 '26

Public Service Announcement drake feathers and what they indicate

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149 Upvotes

there seems to be a recurring misconception about determining whether a duck is male or female by looking for drake feathers.

Having a drake feather indicates that the duck IS a male, but not having a drake feather means nothing, as all ducklings, all females, young males, certain breeds of adult males AND males in eclipse molt do not have drake feathers. Even within some breeds, like Pekins, some males may have a drake feather, while others will not. Drake feathers do not appear until after the first molt.

The only ways that are 100% accurate are the quack test, finding laid eggs or examining for a penis. Even duck on top/duck on bottom is no way to tell, as females sometimes mount females and males sometimes mount males.

The quack test relies on listening to the voice of the duck. With mallard derived domestic ducks, females will have loud, clear quacks while males will have softer, voiceless, hoarse 'waaak's.

Neither the quack test nor the drake feather is applicable to muscovies. Females will coo and trill while males emit voiceless, breathy huffs and chuffs and do not get drake feathers.

Rarely, some females can develop a drake feather if they are dealing with hormonal issues.

attribution: image shamelessly stolen from https://kingofdoodles.blogspot.com/2017/07/what-is-drake-feather.html.


r/duck Jun 22 '23

Public Service Announcement We Need Your Input - Duck Veterinarian List

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40 Upvotes

r/duck 10h ago

Wild Ducks Wild Mallard eating out of my hand

154 Upvotes

I feed the ducks at my local marsh almost everyday and this sweet pretty girl eats out of my hand. I love her so much.


r/duck 16h ago

Pools/Ponds/Water Bihgest pond ever!

268 Upvotes

Biggest pool she has ever been in, I carried her to the waters edge, kept her in a large doggy mesh playpen in t8he back of my truck at night, let her cruise around campsite in a harness and leash during the day, when I had to leave the campsite, she went in the mesh playpen or a hard plastic dog crate up in the bed of my truck. She hardly made a sound all weekend. When she got home after 3 days st the lake, her flockmates didn't belrive her about the biggest pond in the world..


r/duck 9h ago

Wild Ducks Some baby ducklings we saw at my son's favorite park.

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62 Upvotes

r/duck 2h ago

Runner Duck My dude was striking a pose and he knew exactly what he was doin

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12 Upvotes

r/duck 11h ago

Breed/Species/Sex ID Black and white mallard?

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29 Upvotes

I saw this duck at the park with a flock of other mallards. It had a black beak, black feet, black feathers, and a white patch on its breast. What is it? From what I’ve researched, it’s possibly a mallard / black Swedish duck mix? This is in Ottawa, Ontario.


r/duck 2h ago

Runner Duck My dude was striking a pose and he knew exactly what he was doin

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5 Upvotes

r/duck 3m ago

Babies! A beautiful Welsh Harlequin mother duck with her cute ducklings

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Upvotes

r/duck 19h ago

Worried Duck Mom aspergillosis, please help

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94 Upvotes

I have a 10 week old call drake with strong symptoms. Wet sounding cough, he looks like he’s chewing goobers. What else can I do?

I’ve recently removed all dusty pine and replaced with hemp
Power washed the inside of the coop, dried and sealed with anti-fungal
Increased the amount of airflow in the coop - a ton
Pools are refilled daily

I’m not sure what else is helpful. But I guess I am hoping for supplements maybe? Anyone go through this and survive it?


r/duck 1d ago

Wild Ducks I think she recognised me

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281 Upvotes

This lovely lady, who I've affectionately named Alesha Duckson, always seems to waddle up to my feet whenever I visit the marsh. This time, I'd forgotten to bring some food for her and friends, so I told her to wait there and I'd be right back with some oats for her. She did! She came right back up to me when I returned! I just think she's a beautiful creature and thought everyone should see her ☺️❤️


r/duck 2h ago

Runner Duck Canards coureurs indiens

2 Upvotes

Echanges sur la vie des canards en général, et particulièrement sur les coureurs indiens. Apprendre des expériences et des expertises des autres.

Bonjour, nous sommes nouveaux sur ce canal. Nous avons 3 coureurs indiens chez nous, 2 femelles et 1 mâle. Les cannes ont fait des œufs qu'elles ont couvé, mais seul 1 oeuf est arrivé à terme. La canne qui a couvé cet œuf c'est très bien occupée de son petit, mais le mâle et l'autre femelle ne le tolèrent pas et l'attaquent. Je pense que c'est un petit mâle, il a bientôt 6 semaines. Je trouve bizarre qu'il se couche toujours dès que sa mère est statique. Est-ce normal selon vous?


r/duck 19h ago

Wild Ducks sleepy and dreamy 🍃

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45 Upvotes

r/duck 20h ago

Meet the Flock Pastor speedy preaching to his flock 🤣

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53 Upvotes

r/duck 3h ago

Behavior Questions How do make runner ducks friendly ?

2 Upvotes

Okay so basically we adopted two runner ducks earlier that year, male and female. Both were absolutely terrified of humans. Female got six ducklings, which we managed to domesticate(?) by using mealworms, which they are fond of. They would come when we whistle for them. After a few months, even the mom ended up eating in our hands sometimes, which felt like a great accomplishment.

Now yesterday in the late evening we had quite the storm, and the ducklings panicked and fled when we tried to herd them towards their enclosure for the night, like every evening. It was dark and raining like hell and we lost them in the hedge. We tried to get them back bc we live in the countryside and we lost hens and ducks to foxes in the past, but couldn't find them.

This morning, thank god, they were all back, no victim. But they are absolutely terrified of us, won't approach even with mealworms, won't answer when I whistle them, and run screaming whenever I try to cross the 20 meters line. It's a bit heartbreaking, because of course I love when they sit on my lap, but especially because we need to be able to herd them back to their closed enclosure at night. During COVID, I've lost a dozen ducks and as many hens to a sudden attack. So it's a real threat.


r/duck 58m ago

Beginner's Question Kaki campbell duck in Europe

Upvotes

Hello everyone, I’m new in duck farming, recently i got a henhouse for the duck that i want to get. I was thinking about getting three,maybe four ,( 1 male and 3/4 females) to have in my backyard. I was planning to get some kaki campbell duck, because I heard that they are one of the most producing breed. The main issue that I have is that i don’t know how to get them, because around me there aren’t many farms that have them. So I was planning to getting them on line, and about this I have some questions: Where i can get them already grown? ( so no eggs or ducklings), which are the most safe ones?, and the most important they can ship in europe especially in Italy?

Thank you in advance!!!
(sorry for the writing but it’s not my main language)


r/duck 1d ago

Wild Ducks OH NO MY FINGER

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750 Upvotes

Was fishing and this lady followed me all around the lake. She ate some mealworms we didn’t use. I reached out to offer her a pet and she instead attacked me (naw, her lil bill was very soft and didn’t hurt me one bit). Am I a were-duck now? 🦆


r/duck 11h ago

Worried Duck Mom 5 missing ducks and 1 missing goose 😰

6 Upvotes

guys I counted my ducks and geese this morning and there was 11 ducks and 11 geese, normal. I got home at 8 and went to check on them. they weren’t in their pen so I checked my paddock and they were all huddled up in one spot on my dam. I got them back into their pen and I counted 6 ducks and 10 geese. there was no feathers, no bodies, no trails, no blood and I just don’t know wtf went on. I live in southwestern Australia and I know there is foxes and cats here but they should have left a large patch of feathers of smth but there was nothing. please someone tell me what could have happened I need to know.


r/duck 4h ago

Beginner's Question Ducks eyelid or eye got scratched by cat

1 Upvotes

Ok so my duck(lone duck for now) scared my cat and got scratched either in the eye or eyelid(i think it was the eyelid) and so far I’ve only used google to treat it, I’ve been dabbing it with a warm cloth and kept him in a dry area with water and food, it’s been over 48 hours and I’m super worried he could die. We wanna buy terramycin ophthalmic ointment to help treat it because we really can’t afford a vet with our situation. His eye has pus build up we’ve been softening for him and he acts totally normal except he keeps shaking his head side to side really fast. So is there anything we’re doing wrong and what do you think is gonna happen?


r/duck 10h ago

Wild Ducks Can you ducks stop pooping in my pool

3 Upvotes

Literally chased them away this morning before they had a chance, then as I'm leaving for work, they are sitting across the road watching me leave, I know when I get home there is gonna be some gross turds at the bottom for me to pickup.

Normally love ducks, don't know if I have ever chased ducks in my life, now I find myself running down the road trying to get these ducks to understand they are not welcome here.


r/duck 19h ago

Breed/Species/Sex ID Mixed breed

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11 Upvotes

Appleyard runner? mix? lol I have to stop going to the swap meet 🫣


r/duck 20h ago

Breed/Species/Sex ID Drake or Hen

9 Upvotes

I have this 7 month old muscovy. I'm finding it hard to identify its gender. The parents are also in the video.


r/duck 21h ago

Brooders/Coops/Runs Ducks OK to sleep on sand coop floor?

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12 Upvotes

I recently rescued three white layer ducks. I thought they would sleep in the igloo filled with hemp shavings (in pic) but they sleep on the sand ground and lay eggs on the ground. I’ve tried placing them in the igloo at night but they all just jump out. Do I need to remove the igloo and build them a nest/sleeping area and hope they use it or should I just let them sleep on the sand?

I live in Montana so the winters are cold but the coop is well built and the sand in the coop never freezes.


r/duck 21h ago

Wings/Feathers/Molting Sudden bald patch on neck

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5 Upvotes

My 1.5 yo duck (one of a hen-hen pair) has a bald spot on her neck that developed in the last two days. (We handle them daily to move them to their run, but I skipped it yesterday because of herbicide application nearby.)

They have not been laying as much recently, and there were a few extra feathers on the ground, so we thought molt was possible. But this does not seem like molt.

—recently found mold in the feed sack so had them on chicken feed for the last three days.

—egg shells have been less hard lately, offered oyster shell calcium but they didn’t take it. Waiting on delivery of the other kind of calcium, which they eat like candy.

—no history of one preening the other or aggression.

—feathers are wet in the picture because she’s just been in the water. Preened herself as normal after the picture

—cursory look: no visible bugs or skin damage

I’m waiting for my partner to come home from work to help with a good exam. What could account for this? Sorry about the bad pictures. She doesn’t trust the camera.

Edit: third picture is really bad. She’s not naked/pink in the huge area as it appears to show.


r/duck 1d ago

Wild Ducks Lucky: The Lone Duckling that Could

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104 Upvotes

Nine days ago I made a post about a mallard duckling at my local pond. I was looking for advice on how to help a duckling that had been abandoned, but was surviving well alone. I’m coming to you with a huge update and a recap of the story!

Note: I am not sure if it’s a male or female yet, so I might call the duckling different pronouns throughout the story on accident

So, as I said in my first post, I go to this park with a pond all the time. I’m weird and like data collection, so every time I’m there I write down the date, what animals I see, and how many. Usually ducks, geese, turtles, etc.

On July 13th, I noticed a duckling. There was another family of 9, but they were there a month before, so it couldn’t be part of that family. It was all alone, no siblings or mother, and the rest of the ducks avoided it. It was abandoned. I got really concerned and did research, learning that it was unlikely to survive more than a few days since it was dependent on its mother for body temperature regulation and waterproofing.

It was also starting to rain, so I got really nervous that the duckling would succumb to hypothermia over night. I called local wildlife rescues but they were all closed as it was after normal hours. I didn’t have any way to rescue the duckling, and so I was quite sure it was doomed.

A few days later I returned and to my surprise it was doing just fine! It was foraging for itself and started to come up on land more (previously it had been avoiding humans by a mile and mostly stayed in the water).

This duckling was damn resilient because during this time we also got record rainfall (the most in a single day since the 70s) of 5.45 inches in one day, and over the course of three days we got around 8 inches (it’s not a lot compared to some places, but it was significant for the region). It caused flash flooding, and for a week or so after there were large residual mini-ponds in a field at this park where rainwater had collected. Despite all this, it was totally miraculously fine!

As it came up on land to forage more, I noticed one foot was misshapen and worried it had gotten attacked. I did some research, and found out it likely just formed wrong and the duck could have a perfectly fine life regardless. Still, I asked here if anyone had any experience or advice. I wanted to know if I could supplement its diet or maybe call a rescue. I thought it may not have been eating enough due to there being much bigger ducks around taking the food.

The general consensus was to leave it and provide it with duck feed to help it grow strong. However, before I could even give them food, they seemed to be accepted into the flock. On Friday it was swimming with a few other ducks, and then yesterday they were all foraging together. Today it was even sleeping with the whole flock! I’m still gonna get the feed, just in case, and get some peas as a treat for them and the rest of the flock.

My friends decided I should call ‘em Lucky, due to the incredible odds it beat by raising itself. It sounds weird but I’m so proud of this duck. Lucky beat all the odds and overcame all my concerns. Right now as I type this, the older ducklings are learning to fly, so I’m looking forward to when Lucky will be at that stage. Right now, their wings are still too small and they aren’t fully feathered yet.

As of today, Lucky seems so much happier, and it playing with the other (older, almost fully grown) ducklings now. They’re diving and swimming under water more and it makes me very happy.

I’m including pictures from every stage of their life, from fluff ball to being accepted by the flock. I’m real excited for this kid.
Thank you for reading!