No quacking

[needlessjunk]

So my cayuga female was quite chatty when we first got here in Jan. She is laying an egg a day and healthy as far as I can tell but she has stopped quacking and talking in general. She does open her mouth and it sounds like she has lost her voice. Sound does come out and I don't know if she is just a quiet duck and doesn't feel like actually quacking or if I should be worried. Nothing is stuck in her throat and I've been giving ACV to see if that would help. She was never very loud but in the last month I have noticed that I never hear her anymore. Not that I mind because the rest of my girls make up for it but I just want to make sure I'm not missing something.

 

[DemonicFowl]

Have you swabbed her throat to see if she has grape worm? Does it sound raspy when she talks?

 

[needlessjunk]

Have you swabbed her throat to see if she has grape worm? Does it sound raspy when she talks?

I have not, but I though if it was gape worm you would not be able to to see it at all. She did quack a bit today though.

 

[DemonicFowl]

I have not, but I though if it was gape worm you would not be able to to see it at all. She did quack a bit today though.

Was going off of @wynette "To check for gapeworm in chickens (I'm unsure whether this works for ducks, but it seems likely?) - per my avian vet - take a Q-tip, and GENTLY swirl it, pushing it down the throat an inch or so, then swirl coming back up; if they've got gapeworms, they will be on the q-tip.  I believe they are red, and I feel like someone has told me in the past they actually have two heads. (?)"

Is she keeping her weight, good looking poos? Could it be a pecking order thing, rejection. Well I mean if shes healthy and acting like she usually does I don't think you should worry to much. Perhaps someone on here has had similar events and they will respond.

 

[needlessjunk]

Was going off of @wynette "To check for gapeworm in chickens (I'm unsure whether this works for ducks, but it seems likely?) - per my avian vet - take a Q-tip, and GENTLY swirl it, pushing it down the throat an inch or so, then swirl coming back up; if they've got gapeworms, they will be on the q-tip. I believe they are red, and I feel like someone has told me in the past they actually have two heads. (?)"

Is she keeping her weight, good looking poos? Could it be a pecking order thing, rejection. Well I mean if shes healthy and acting like she usually does I don't think you should worry to much. Perhaps someone on here has had similar events and they will respond.

She seems healthy. She hasn't lost any weight since I got here in Jan. She is a smaller duck though and I can feel her breast bone but I can feel it on my runners a well. So I don't think she is underweight.

 

[seashoreduck]

Once you check for worms and other physical ailments, it might be good to check the psychological. Ducks are very sensitive creactures so changes in the enviroment, food, etc seem entirely capable of sending them into a tailspin. I had 3 mallards and the one who got hand fed was the loudest, most obnoxious duck that you'd ever met. The female was rather quiet (could quack but never did) after a very rebellious and quacky "teenage" years.

General knowledge indicates that females are the noisest...but not always....as long as your duck isn't in pain you should be ok.

 

[casportpony]

Gapeworms live in the trachea, *not* the esophagus, so one cannot check for them by swabbing their throats.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Change in vocalizations can be a sign of illness. Can you take her to a vet?

-Kathy

 

[needlessjunk]

Gapeworms live in the trachea, *not* the esophagus, so one cannot check for them by swabbing their throats.

-Kathy

Thank you, that's what I thought. Any sure fire way to diagnose gape worm?

 

[needlessjunk]

Change in vocalizations can be a sign of illness. Can you take her to a vet?

-Kathy

Not really. Wouldn't there be a drop in egg production or does that come after they are already well on their way being sick?