When do Muscovy drakes start hissing & huffing

[TeamRetic]

I been wonder when the voices of the male muscovies start to change and they start to make the funny huffing and hissing sound. I got a couple of them and I believe one of them is a male because it is bigger then the other one. I just love the sound they make and when they wag their tails.

 

[Going Quackers]

I notice it varies a bit by bird, i have had many a drake raised here and that has been my experience. That said by 3mths it's definitely coming out, my youngest boys are turning 4mths next weekend you can hear it but some are still better than others and none are as fully vocal as the mature drakes we have but it's coming, sounds pretty darn funny when they first begin as it's strained.

We knew they were males long before vocals though, using that as a gender guide is best for older birds that you are unsure of. The drakes will be larger as you said, it is really quite noticeable.

Here is a shot of two of mine.. the drake is in the front, the duck in behind, same age, same clutch.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My 24 week old drake hasn't started hissing, he does talk in a very low voice though, kinda like Clark Gable

 

[petjem]

Mine is 3 months old and recently he started hissing at the cats! LOL!

 

[TeamRetic]

Did he hiss like a snake or did the Muscovy hissing panting sound. The drakes sound more like panting of a dog then a hiss.

 

[petjem]

Did he hiss like a snake or did the Muscovy hissing panting sound. The drakes sound more like panting of a dog then a hiss.

Similar to the cat's/snake's hiss. It's only 3 months old.

Is this what you call panting of a dog?

 

[TeamRetic]

Yes, it sounds like panting to me. It does not sound like hissing at all to me.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Similar to the cat's/snake's hiss. It's only 3 months old.

Is this what you call panting of a dog?

Thats about as close as you can get to what a drake sounds like, good job finding that one.

 

[petjem]

Also this one is a good one.

My duckling will only make a noise like a cat hiss at the moment. He opens his little beak and all that it comes out is low hiss.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Also this one is a good one.

My duckling will only make a noise like a cat hiss at the moment. He opens his little beak and all that it comes out is low hiss.

Exactly how my drakes sound, I never really thought of it as a hiss though. well they are just learning petjem