BREEDS AND VARIETIES 



of duck8, weights are given for adult ducks and 

 adult drakes, and for young ducks and young 

 drakes. By adult duck or drake is meant a bird 

 which is over one year old. By young duck or drake 

 is meant a bird which is less than one year old. The 

 homy mouth parts of the duck instead of being 

 termed beak as in chickens are called bill, and the 

 separate division of the upper bill at its extremity 

 is termed the bean. Ducks do not show any comb 

 or wattles as in chickens. In England use is made of 

 the terms ducklet and drakerel. Ducklet is used to 

 signify a female during her first laying season just 

 as the word pullet is used in contrast to hen. Drak- 

 erel is used to signify a young drake as contrasted 

 with an older drake just as the word cockerel is used 

 in comparison to cock in chickens. 



Distinguishing the Sex. The sex of mature ducks 

 can be readily told by their voices and also by a dif- 

 ference in the feathering. The duck gives voice to a 

 coarse, harsh sound which is the characteristic 

 "quack" usually thought of in connection with this 

 class of fowl. The drake on the other hand utters 

 a cry which is not nearly so loud or harsh but which 

 is more of a hissing sound. Distinction of sex by this 

 means can be made after the ducklings are from 4 

 to 6 weeks old. Before this age, both sexes make 

 the same peeping noise. 



Mature drakes are also distinguished from the 

 ducks by the presence of two sex feathers at the 

 base of the tail. These are short feathers which 



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