Duck can't quack?

[MilkMaid]

I recently took in two white pekin, full grown ducks. The woman who gave them to me had taken them from someone else and knew little about them. One of them is definitely a male, with a little curl on the tail and makes the drake squawking noise. The other, while the same age as the other, has no curl on the tale but does not quack like my other female ducks. The sound it makes is different than that of the drake. I am wondering if someone could have cut the vocal cords or somehow this duck just can't quack? I suppose it could be a drake that doesn't have a curly tail feather? The sound it makes just sounds like it doesn't have a voice and is trying to make noise, while the drake makes a definite drake noise. Anyway, I don't know if I want two more drakes added to my flock and am hoping this one is female, despite no quacking. Anyone have any ideas about this? Thanks

Rebekah

 

[Omniskies]

It'd be very difficult to cut the vocals out of a duck without it being killed. Here are the only explanations I can think of:

- Old injury. Really old. Ducks have a hollow "plastic" windpipe that is very hard. They're tough to dent.

- A cross between a Pekin and a Muscovy. This is a _very_ popular cross, combining the muscovy's taste and the Pekin's fast growth. There's really no way to prove whether or not some ducks are mules until you try to hatch out eggs and see if they are fertile. That'd also explain the lack of curly tail feathers, since Muscovies don't have those.

- Just how the duck is. Roosters have different crows. You may have stumbled on a duck with a different quack. If so, see if he throws quieter offspring. My biggest complaint with mallard-derived ducks (besides the mud dabbling and all-around mess and the skittish behavior) is that the females spend all day going "Yoohoo! Predators! Betcha can't find me!"

I swear there are animals miles away who hear some of those ducks farther away than the roosters.

 

[Katy]

If he's molting he won't have a drake feather for a while.

 

[MilkMaid]

It doesn't appear to be molting. My ducks are all done with molting by now and the drakes all seem to have their tail feathers.

 

[DuckLady]

Are you sure they are 2 pekins and not a pekin and a white muscovy?

 

[MilkMaid]

They are definitely two pekins. I have seen muscovy ducks and they look very different to me. Thanks

 

[cgjsmith]

I have a duck who refuses to quack unless you hold her and talk to her. Even then its a warbly sounding quack. but its definatly a girl. No curl and louder then the boys. Crystal

 

[Hay8its8bailey]

I have a duck the looks like a girl mallard and she won't quack either. I've had her since she was a baby and she would chirp but ever since she grew up and got real feathers she just won't quack. I don't know if its that she just can't or she decides not to but i really hope she is a girl. I posted a picture of her on my page.

 

[abletard]

I have a Pekin duck and another that the guy I bought them from told me was some kind of cross? They're about 4 weeks old now and the black one has stopped peeping and it sounds like it's lost its voice. Could this be because it's a cross breed?

 

[Amiga]

My experience with my runner girls is that peeps become peep-honks become quacks, though the runners don't quack unless they are upset, they make an ah AH ah ah noise.

And drakes' voices are very whispery compared to ducks (girls), but I am only familiar with mallard-derived breeds, not Muscovies.

Majestic Waterfowl has a voice identifier audio on their site.