Chickens quacking like ducks?

[Lilychick]

Should I be worried?

My girls are 9 weeks old three of them (RIR, Red Star, EE) are starting to make these noises that sound like my kids when they had croup - or like a crow, or a duck. Basically it sounds like, "quack quack quack". Then they go back to peeping.

Is this normal, or could it be a respiratory illness? The only thing that has changed is that I got new bedding that was labeled "wood shavings" and the guy at the store was only "pretty sure" it was mostly pine.

My (former) roosters didn't make this sound.

Thanks for any help!

 

[pipermark]

I have had this happen before, just to be safe I add apple cider vinegar their water , 1 teaspoon per gallon. This helps cut any mucus build up.

 

[NewGuineaChooks]

Another possibility, is they are "teenage" birds. My 10 week old ones alternate between peeping and a kind-of duck sounding noise. Maybe its their voices changing?

 

[ole-crone]

That's how all of my chicks sound when they are getting older - @9-10 weeks. So maybe it is that their voices are changing.

 

[Lilychick]

Thank you all. They seem to only do it when they're mad, or riled up. Must be a teenage, Peter Brady, thing. They otherwise seem very healthy.

I'm glad to know about the apple cider vinegar idea too. I've been hearing a lot of good things about apple cider vinegar!