Umm, this may be a weird Q, but our Duckling is honking?

[FenDruadin]

In my experience, the "honkers" usually turn out to be girls. And yes, it's a VERY common noise to make during adolescence. Mine occasionally start honking as early as two weeks of age, but more often around four weeks. I wouldn't worry--they're just changing so fast.

 

[Wifezilla]

If the duckling goes from "peep peep peep" to "peep peep honk grunt peep honk" you most likely have a girl

 

[aduckstolemyheart]

Yes, that's exactly how it is! The usual peep sounds, and then all the sudden a series of little honks! It's very unlike ANY noise I have ever heard my drake make.

Soooo glad to know I should not worry! Now I can start enjoying the cute new noises. SO excited to hear that she may be a hen! We're crossing our fingers for two hens, so that I don't have to worry about drake fights! Our adult Pekin Drake has a bit of an attitude, and have no idea how he'd handle another male. He's been alone, poor guy, since I took him in. He was dumped a couple months after Easter '09 along with 3 other buddies of his in my grandparents pond. The snapping turtles and coyotes got the other three, but I rescued Bella and he's been with me ever since. So glad to finally have found friends for him!

The little breed unknown duckling is much smaller and has not progressed to different noises. He is not in as big a hurry to grow up as George/Georgia is, so we'll have to wait and see what he turns out to be!

 

[keeperofthehearth]

If the duckling goes from "peep peep peep" to "peep peep honk grunt peep honk" you most likely have a girl

I have a 5-6wk old Pekin who does that & boy is she loud and talk about "talk", that girl is always racketing about!

I've been thinking that was a indication of a girl duck.

Congrats on your little "girl."

 

[aduckstolemyheart]

TY, Keeper! And congrats on your babies as well!

 

[katharinad]

Quote:
Man I hate when people just drop off their ducks because they are to big. I got really mad once when my postal lady told me what they did. Let step back a little. I have a mail order business and get daily pickups from the post office. The woman, who used to pickup, no longer works for them. Anyway, we caught a wild duckling 2 years ago in our parking lot. Put it into a cage and let it cry for a couple hours. Mother never showed, and we later found some duck remains on the road in front of our property. So we took the duck in and raised her. She grew up nicely and the postal woman bought once her kids along just to see the duck playing in the water. We never pet the duck, because she was a wild duck after all. The duck later joined the wild ducks and we have never seen her again. A happy outcome we think. Anyway the following spring the coop was selling ducklings and her husband bought 2 because the kids were nagging him. They all live in a trailer park, so no place to keep two ducklings. They did keep them in the house and were very fast overwhelmed with the two ducks. Worst the little kids (3 and 5) where playing with the ducks, injuring one to the point the it no longer could walk. A little bit later she had it with the ducks and told her husband to get rid of them. The a**hole took them to a large lake out in the woods and just let them free. I was furious when she told me. I told her that they will get eaten by coyotes, since they cannot fly. Man do you really think you know ducks, from just feeding them and having a heat lamp? Really she never even read a single book or got online to learn about ducks.
Sorry for the rant.
Katharina

 

[b.hromada]

What a cutie!!

I've had ducklings, but I didn't notice a "honking" sound when they were really young.

Heck, I guess its possible, right? Someone should have an answer to your question.

 

[aduckstolemyheart]

He's a few days shy of a month old. I know they seem so young still, but they are growing faster than I realize! Especially the Pekin, he is ginormous!


And katharinad,
I know just what you mean! I was so mad when my grandmother told me what had happened. A neighbor witnessed a truck outside their house and a man dumping the ducks out in her yard near the pond, and then he took off! I tell ya, I hate the whole "easter animals" fad. Poor bunnies, ducks, and chickens wind up in the hands of children and their less than responsible parents and when they grow tired of the animals, they dump them. Shelters are overwhelmed too a few months after Holidays, with all the drop-offs. It's just sad. I only wish I had gotten to the ducks sooner, before Bella wound up all alone. (We named him Bella because his Drake feather did not grow in until about 3 months after we got him. Thought he was a SHE! lol)

People don't stop to think about a domesticated duck not being able to survive being abandoned in the wild.

Makes me mad too.

 

[katharinad]

I sometimes wish that feed stores would put up big signs saying: Domestic ducks! They do not fly, never release into the wild.
I think that will help somewhat. Next put up a line:
Warning! Duck poo contains salmonella, children should not handle ducks.
I know that one is a little bit far fetched, but it may put a damper on the pet duck sale for kids.
Same of other cuties, which should not be house pets. Give the animals what they need and respect their nature.
Some sell died chicks, and good news is that some states have laws against. No I wish they would make it mandatory to put up notes like I mentioned.

I'm glad you rescued at least the one duck. I would have tried to get the local TV station to come out to the scene and report of this irresponsible behavior. It may be an eye opener to some. I would also suggest to write a letter to the local newspaper editor. Many will print letters like that, and you will be surprised how many good responses you can get. We have written quite often to our tiny local paper. They have a website to write to, so you don't even have to mail it. They print the letter into the paper and put it online, so others can comment. Love it.
Katharina

 

[aduckstolemyheart]

Very good idea!I never thought of sending something to the papers. May be a year after it happened, but it's never to late to educate people! I majored in English and Journalism in college, so I ought to be able to throw a decent little letter together.

I wish the feed stores did more to educate buyers, but sadly, half the people at the feed store have no freakin' idea how to raise them either. The man at Feldmans (Farm store) who sold us our two baby ducklings gave out so much misinformation it wasn't even funny. I learned more in a half hour of researching than I did there.

Gah! It's frustrating.

Thanks for the idea, I will work on something!