Please say it's not so! LOL when the peeping turns hoarse, is it a boy

[kitkatbahr]

I have really, really been hoping Sunny, my almost 5 week old Pekin, is a little girl. I know it's early to tell, but I have been waiting to hear her quack. Lately though, "her" peeping has had a hoarse sound to it. Does that mean she is a he? No quacking sounds at all. Just regular peeps and some hoarse peeping. Reminds me of a teen boy with his voice just starting to change. Most times he sounds one way, but then a weird sound comes out. LOL So, for those who have raised pekin ducklings, when did their voices change and did the boys' peeps just kind of turn hoarse? Or, do they all sound like that and maybe it is a hen that will start quacking?

"She" will be 5 weeks tomorrow. Is it really too early to tell or do you think I have a young drake on my hands?

Thanks.
Kathy
P.S. The only experience I have with pekins, other than her, is grown ones that quack very loudly (hens) or sound rather froggy (drakes). They were grown when I got them. Other than that, I have only raised muscovies from babies, and they are totally different from pekins.

 

[duckyfromoz]

I can fairly accurately voice sex my girls at 5 weeks. I usually start to hear the change start around three weeks- But often give them a little more time to determine if they are a late quacking female- or are indeed a male. From what you describe...it does sound more like a drake- But without hearing it - is is hard to say for sure.

I have a young duck who recently started laying- She has never been particularly loud- But lately when she talks- she always sounds like a boy. No qaucking at all.

 

[vlapinta]

I vent sexed my three calls and determined they were all girls when they were a month old. They are 8 weeks old, almost 9. One definately has a loud "honk" quack The other two more like peeping. I guess the other two are drakes. Just shows how good I am at vent sexing lol!

Vicki

 

[Sweetfolly]

I've noticed that sometimes the girls will sound a little "off" or scratchy just before they start to quack. There might still be hope!

 

[aduckstolemyheart]

With my Pekin hen, at around three weeks she started in with some weird sounds. Kinda like you describe, a hoarse sound, and then she made noises more like a "honk" than a quack. It was like she was part goose!

With our little drake (he's a Swede mix not a Pekin) but his voice never changed really at all. At least not noticeably. It was as if over two months ot just kind of became more gravely. He is soooooo quiet though you can barely hear him.

IMO to hear a voice change at all would make me wonder if it could be a hen just starting her change but without hearing it I can't say! I would at least say you have a chance.

Can you get a video so we can hear?

 

[L0rraine]

So I have two 6 1/2 week old Runners. They are still peeping - not hoarse, no quacks. I'm still assuming they will be males, but it is amazing that they sound almost identical to my 2 week old chicks.

 

[kitkatbahr]

Well, I'm glad there is still hope. She/He mostly does the weird sound when I pick her up or catch her. And, it is a very loud peep sound, just hoarse sounding at the same time. I did notice today though, that even the regular peeping (when she is playing with her toys, or just talking) is getting a different hoarse sound too, but not so much as the loud peeping. So, maybe she will still be a girl. I hope so, as I have too many drakes as it is. My grown pekins and pekin mixes are VERY loud with their quacking. The pekins are the parents of this little one, but she was hatched in an incubator.

Now that I think about it, she still may be a girl, as she talks ALOT! LOL

If I can, I will try and get video this afternoon when we go outside so you all can hear it.

Thank you!
Kathy