Can a duck lose her quack?

[Bullet]

I have a duck who is just over a year old. normally she is very vocal but this morning the only thing she can do is kind of like a squeaky sort of quack. can they get larngyitits? OR should I be worried?

Thanks!

 

[the Old Rebel]

What kind of duck is it?

 

[Wifezilla]

Is her breathing labored?

 

[Bullet]

I'm not really sure what kind of duck she is. We got her from an ag store in alma. she was all black as duckling but now she is black with gold border on her wings. I don't think her breathing is labored. I picked up her up and she seemed fine. She isn't doing much else though she just lays around the yard!

 

[duck whisperer3]

Hi- I am one of a few people taking care of our school duckies, and unfortunately we had lost 3 by Friday. Then I noticed mama duck couldn't quack. I went back on Saturday, put up a scarecrow and an owl, to fend off any hawks or crows until we can get back to school, and she still can't quack. Though the babies did stay very close to her, which is an improvement from Thursday, when they were scattering too far away. I believe she may have quacked so loud she lost her voice? I hope temporarily...any luck with your ducks quacking returning?

 

[Amiga]

Ducks can lose their quacks for a few reasons, serious to minor.

Hardware disease - metal stuck in the throat (serious)
Mild virus - (minor)
Injury - something pressed against the neck (minor or serious)
Gapeworm - a parasite (serious)
Laryngitis from overuse - like people get after a sporting event (minor)
there are probably more possibilities

A good vet's help is great when you can get it.

I would:

examine the throat carefully,
listen to the breathing,
check the feed for moldiness
check the bedding for moldiness
check the feces looking for anything unusual
add apple cider vinegar to their drinking water (if they have a galvanized water bucket, I would switch to plastic or stainless steel), a tablespoon per gallon


My Carmella had laryngitis and I took her to the vet - no gapeworm. I tried ACV and it did not seem to help, so I tried a very small amount of colloidal silver in the water - several drops in a gallon of water - and her voice came back.

Einz's voice changed last year to a higher squeaky pitch and I think it's because she yelled so much at the new ducks.

If you want a wider audience of duck people, you may wish to join us on the Duck Forum.

 

[Agavsg]

I'm not really sure what kind of duck she is. We got her from an ag store in alma. she was all black as duckling but now she is black with gold border on her wings. I don't think her breathing is labored. I picked up her up and she seemed fine. She isn't doing much else though she just lays around the yard!

Same case with mine

 

[Isaac 0]

Same case with mine

@Agavsg , if you're looking for help, I suggest posting here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/ducks.42/