Duck Voice sexing

[kodiakchicken]

Okay, I know this is one of those topics that gets beat to death, but now I'm getting confused and curious.

I've got the three amigos and for some time now have been thinking that Zipper was a boy. His quack is raspier than Maggie's. But on a recent post someone said that male's quacks are almost like a whisper. Zipper has never been a whisperer and sometimes when he decides to voice his opinion he quacks loud enough to split eardrums (like this morning in the enclosed garage!!!).

So, I guess what I'm wondering is: In all your "expert" opinions, how accurate is voice sexing? And do the male ducks really just make whispering noises or are they just raspier but still loud. Because so far none of three are quiet by anymeans!

BTW, they are almost 8 weeks old, Zipper is a black cayuga, maggie a magpie and baby blue is a blue swede>

Thanks for all your help! I'm terrible at waiting and it seems like ages before the drake feathers will arrive!

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

At 8 weeks it's still sketchy to voice sex them. The males can make noise above a whisper (unless you're talking muscovies) it's just raspier. A female will be a very clear, loud, UN-raspy QUACK whereas the male will sound like an old man that has smoked all his life - it can be loud, just very coarse....

 

[chickmommar]

I think you should be able to tell the difference - unless perhaps they are all the same sex. Here is a good site that has an example male and female voice:
http://www.majesticwaterfowl.org/artquacks.htm
A whispery voice, as Broke Down said, is not really about the volume I guess so much as the tone. So a male can be loud but his voice is not so strident or raucous as the female quack.

 

[kodiakchicken]

Thanks for that link!

Based on that, I would say I have three hens! They are all loud, sharp quackers - extremely similar to the girl duck sound. I don't have any that sound as whispery as the boy duck sounds.

Three hens is perfect, because I mainly wanted them for eggs. Besides, it gives me an excuse to order a drake next year!!! (I really want to add a khaki campbel to my wild mix!)

 

[dacjohns]

Darn, sounds like my Easter ducks are males.

 

[egraham]

Any guesses? The one that is quacking does make louder honks but mostly makes what you hear. The other is still peeping but sounds like it's hawking, honking rather, a loogy on occasion.

 

[chickens really]

Two Drakes.....

 

[egraham]

Ugh. I'm gonna need a lot of ducks.