my 15 week old hen is getting drakey

[toadbriar]

Bessie USED to quack. I swear it! I did the "pick up" test with everyone when their voices changed from peeps. She quacked. Then a couple weeks later, I noticed her talking and no sound came out. I watched her closely - but saw no respiratory symptoms. Then her voice came back, a little hoarse, but got stronger. Quacking like the other girls - a little quieter, but definitely 'wok wok wok' not the raspy 'breeep breeep breeep' grumbles my two drakes say.

Now the boys have really lovely big C-shaped drake curls. Bessie has a pointy tail feather...that tilts up at the end. It's not a drake feather - but it's trying to be! And she sounds like the boys.

I've heard of this happening in flocks with NO drakes. My guys are 15 weeks also - they do head-bobbing displays with the girls, but I haven't seen mounting yet.
So what the heck is Bessie's deal? I don't care much, I just want everyone to have enough partners to be safe.

 

[maralynn28]

You know, my ducks do this too (the head bobby thing with each other) and they are all girls. They are all girls and all quack at times but sometimes one particular duck makes more raspy kinda like a hiccup or a "rubber ducky" squeak. I don't think it's anything to worry about, maybe just one of those things...

I guess the reason you are wondering is because you DO have drakes in your flock though?

 

[sourland]

"She" may simply be a slower developing drake. Just like people, not all individual animals mature at the same speed.