Is it a Quack or Raspy Sound that I'm hearing?

[1234duck]

I have heard this sound before in another batch of ducklings & didn't pay much attention, but now I'm interested b/c I might be keeping these two babies. The one that is making the sound is going to be 3 weeks old. I can't really describe the sound, I think it might be a raspy sound as in a drake. I know the difference in sound between the Drake & Hen/Raspy sound & Quack but when their this young does the boy or girl usually make the sound most often? Thanks, ~Julie~ (* )> <( *)

 

[Czech's_chicks]

I think you can tell. If size doesn't give them away by 3-4 weeks, then I listen to the voices. Maybe it's just me, but I swear that baby boys are so much louder and cry about everything more than the girls in both chickens and ducks. Usually, the one who is the loudest and most vocal about being picked up against their will is the boys.

I got two runners and I swear the one who runs away and peeps the loudest is the boy. He is also much bigger and has that rasp, too.

 

[shelleyd2008]

At this age the boys would sound just like a baby duck and the girls might have a squeaky sounding quack. Some breeds take longer, I can tell my Pekins as early as 2 weeks (can tell most at hatch actually), but the Rouens usually fool me until around 4 weeks.

 

[GrannyCarol]

At that age, I can hear the girl ducklings "chortle" when they are happy. It's a precursor to the quack and boys don't do it. They have to be 4 - 5 weeks before the girls will quack loudly when I pick them up. The boys make noises, but I'm not quite sure if it's just a girl that doesn't quack yet until more like 6 weeks. Hope that helps.

 

[1234duck]

The noise/sound is almost like a whine. Now that i think about it, it sounds a little squeaky. ~In Ducks and Chickens, is there usually more apt to be more girls than boys in a hatch, or more boys than girls? Thanks, ~Julie~

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Julie, til they are really starting to feather out, unless you are a seasoned pro you will not be able to tell the difference by voice, they make virtually the same sounds
girls will be more vocal than males as always, but the voice is just a baby duck voice, very hard to tell 100% by it til 6-8 weeks.

I was getting some calls a few weeks ago, and the breeder swore they had them figured out by voice...LOL we spent about 2 hours changing all her bands for sex ID after I started vent sexing them for her, just goes to show, it doesnt work til they are near adult hood and making 100% possitve Quacks.
Some may have little tricks, that breeder did too, they werent accurate.

If it's a big deal to know now, the easiest way to know and know without a doubt is to vent sex them. It's very easy to do. I will be happy to walk you threw how to do it if you'd like, or I think there is a sticky topic at the top of this section about it too.

Once you do it one time, you see just how easy it can be. May take a few swings at it to get it, but once you see what you are looking for on a boy one time, you'll have it down.


No on ducks and chicks, there is now real one sex more dominate in the hatch than another. Some say temp can play a role in it, I feel it's just luck of the draw, the DNA codes are already in there upon fertilization.

 

[1234duck]

Thank you very much, that was very helpful. No, its not important for me to know the sex of them right now, just heard the little sound coming from one of the ducklings. ~ And thanks for offering to help me vent sex. ~Julie~