Drake or hen....YouTube clip included

[gal5150]

First time duck caretakers here....is Fiona, well, Fiona....or a Frank?! Nearly 9 wk old Cayuga. Thoughts appreciated

 

[Ravynscroft]

Fiona is most definitely a Fiona! Only girls quack that loudly and obviously in mallard derived ducks... drakes have a much lower, raspier whaaap-whaaap-whaaap sound to their voices... my OH calls them Whoopers, lol...

 

[gal5150]

Man, do I hope you're right....will break our hearts is she is a he as we will need to rehome.

Ordered her, sexed, from Metzer though I know that's not 100%. My caution has been that our WH from the same hatch day quakes exactly like any video I've watched of hens....loud, abrasive honk quality. Fiona generally does not quack as loud as that video...I separated her from her buddy to get her going. Usually she's much quieter and even when quaking just doesn't seem to have the honk. Though I'm aware Cayugas are quieter ducks.

Hoping we're on point and she IS a she because we lover her so much!

 

[seasprite]

I have a Cayuga who will be 9 weeks on Monday, also from Metzer. Her name is Spunk (my 7 year old named them) I wonder if they're sisters? Fiona sounds *exactly* like Spunk, who sounds like our other adult ladies, so I definitely think she is a she! Congrats

We got spooked when our Rouen, Sass, (Sass and Spunk both hatched 4/25), started getting a wee bit of a green glimmer on her new feathers on the top of her head when they first started coming in. But now she's quacking and still showing no signs of drake markings, so I'm feeling pretty sure she's a she too.

 

[gal5150]

What a great name! I love it! How neat that they could be sisters.....Fiona's hatch date was 4/25. I'd love to see Spunk if you can upload a picture! So relieved to hear that you vote hen as well. This morning while gathering her up to go outside she was moderately quacking and it DID finally sound "honky" to me. I think this may have been a case of my inexperience and fear because we ADORE her so much!
This is Fiona a couple days ago