Quacker, not a Rasper!!!

[JenInNev]

Much to my joy this morning I finally discovered which of my little darlings is the loud quacker (all going on 14 weeks). It's Chicken!!!! Gender guessing has been hard with this group.

I had originally guessed on 2 drakes and 3 hens. Then molting happened. One I had guessed as a Khaki female molted into a beautiful drake.

With the pretty coloring on Chicken, I guessed drake, although it was not interested in the Pekin (PeeQueen) like the two confirmed drakes. After molting, Chicken's body feathers darkened to match its head color.

This morning I was filling their bath water, noticed they were going after my baby lilacs and gave them a spray with the hose. Chicken gave out the outlandish quack (almost like a hardy laugh) I have heard before but never able to pick out the duck doing it. I so hope chicken is a hen. I may not have to cull the flock if it is a she.

Time will tell.

 

[sourland]

If Chicken is the dark bird, right front she is a duck.

 

[JenInNev]

If Chicken is the dark bird, right front she is a duck.

Yes that is Chicken. She (so happy to use that pronoun) is the most friendly of the group. Right now I have to lift them out of their make shift house and she is always the one to run up to me and let me pet her (usually while the Mallard hen is chewing on my fingers). Very sweet duck.