4 Month Old Muscovy Drakes Wheezing

Sweetpotatomama

In the Brooder
Oct 19, 2018
9
5
14
Oregon, US
Hi :) I have two 4 Month old Muscovy Drakes that are making a wheezing sound. I have an adult male and it's not the same chuffing sound he makes at all, it's kind of a cross between that and a squeaky toy. It was only one male I was noticing it in at first but now after two days the other one is doing it too.
Neither of my hens (one adult mama, one 4 Month old duckling) are making the noise.
They're all outside and completely free range except at night when they're locked into their fully enclosed but open sided run with a small dog house they have access to if they want it. The top is partially roofed/partially hardware cloth. They've been totally free range since hatching under mama because she just showed up on our lake one day & I started feeding her/built her a house but definitely couldn't catch her. Mainly they sleep on or in the lake that their pen extends into. They have grass at one end but no bedding.
I've never had young Moscovians before so I don't know if this is maybe just their voice changing from peeps to the chuffing or if it's a respiratory issue I should be concerned about. Aside from the noise they're acting the same, eating, pooping, etc.
Has anyone had juvenile Moscovian drakes do this at all? I could get them to eat bread or a treat with antibiotics in it but I couldn't catch them to take them to the vet unless it was maybe with a net but that sounds stressful for all of us. Plus I just spent $1,000 on vet bills for my other duck who was attacked by an otter so money is pretty tight.
Any advice is welcome :) My feathered kids are basically wild but adored.
 
Hi :) I have two 4 Month old Muscovy Drakes that are making a wheezing sound. I have an adult male and it's not the same chuffing sound he makes at all, it's kind of a cross between that and a squeaky toy. It was only one male I was noticing it in at first but now after two days the other one is doing it too.
Neither of my hens (one adult mama, one 4 Month old duckling) are making the noise.
They're all outside and completely free range except at night when they're locked into their fully enclosed but open sided run with a small dog house they have access to if they want it. The top is partially roofed/partially hardware cloth. They've been totally free range since hatching under mama because she just showed up on our lake one day & I started feeding her/built her a house but definitely couldn't catch her. Mainly they sleep on or in the lake that their pen extends into. They have grass at one end but no bedding.
I've never had young Moscovians before so I don't know if this is maybe just their voice changing from peeps to the chuffing or if it's a respiratory issue I should be concerned about. Aside from the noise they're acting the same, eating, pooping, etc.
Has anyone had juvenile Moscovian drakes do this at all? I could get them to eat bread or a treat with antibiotics in it but I couldn't catch them to take them to the vet unless it was maybe with a net but that sounds stressful for all of us. Plus I just spent $1,000 on vet bills for my other duck who was attacked by an otter so money is pretty tight.
Any advice is welcome :) My feathered kids are basically wild but adored.
If they seem healthy in all other ways, I would say that it's just the transition. I used to have Muscovies, and they usually did something like that when they were maturing.
 
Could you get a video of him doing it? You would have to post it to you tube or vimeo or even Facebook first, then you can embed it here.
My drake is 7 months old and I cannot remember what noises he made at 4 months old. But, I am older :old, so a video could help. :)
 
Hi! Sorry for the late reply, I guess I didn't have notifications on so I didn't realize there were replies.
I took a video of one of my guys this a.m. Here's the YouTube link:
As a precaution I put a bowl of colloidal silver out with their food & they've both been drinking but they're definitely still making the noise. Gosh I hope it's a normal thing & not an infection.
 
Also I know the patio is grossly poopy! I usually spray it off nightly but ran out of time last night, it's already happened since the video. Didn't want anyone to think I was just letting them live in filth!
 
They're actually totally free range except at night and have a 12 acre lake that they're in and out of all day taking baths and playing. Their night pen also extends about 6 feet into the lake so they have access to deep water 24/7. I feed them Purina flock raiser which is supposed to have grit in it plus the free ranging but I could definitely get some grit to give them with their food too. Do you have a preference on size? I've heard #2? It's strange because it's the two 4 Month old drakes doing it but neither of the hens or the adult drake are making the noise which is why I thought maybe it was their voices changing from peeps to chuffing.
I'm starting to get afraid it might be respiratory. I guess I can get some Tylan, I just gate antibiotics unless absolutely necessary. :(
 
I feed them Purina flock raiser which is supposed to have grit in it plus the free ranging but I could definitely get some grit to give them with their food too.
If they free range they do not need grit. :D
It's strange because it's the two 4 Month old drakes doing it but neither of the hens or the adult drake are making the noise which is why I thought maybe it was their voices changing from peeps to chuffing.
I'm starting to get afraid it might be respiratory. I guess I can get some Tylan, I just gate antibiotics unless absolutely necessary. :(
Is there any discharge from their nostrils or bubbles in their eyes?
 
Ok, that's what I thought re the grit...they seem to be eating/drinking/pooping without a problem & they've always been free range doing their thing but good to know for sure. :)

As far as eyes & nostrils, everything seems totally normal. Their activity level is the same as far as I can see, they haven't changed eating habits....just this super weird noise that's gotten progressively more common over the last 7 days or so. It started out with just one drake & it wasn't all the time, sort of mixed into his peeps, now it's both of them and it's all the time & they don't really peep as much anymore. I would swear one of them even tried to quack this morning which was completely bizarre since he's a Scovy, haha.
 

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