I'm getting ducks!

[AngieChick]

So, another BYC member has asked me to run a test hatch of her Khakis. Always willing to help another chicken enthusiast out, I have selflessly agreed

Never having had ducks before, I was wondering how noisy they are? As I am looking at where to place them, I'd love to know how far away from the neighbors I should shoot for. The most convenient place is where my other animals are, but it's also closest to the neighbors. I was also considering putting them down by my veggie garden, I suspect that their gross kiddie pool water will be fabulous for my veggies? Has anyone done this before?

After the ducks, I am forgoing hatching out any more birds this year so that I won't overwhelm my poor DH. Well except for some more silkies, but I'm sure that they don't really count. We are also adding a couple of goats this year, so he has to be eased in when adding another type of animal

I get the eggs on Thursday or Friday and will update throughout the hatch. I'm really excited

 

[houndit]

Some ducks are extremely loud! Campbells are pretty quiet though. Drakes are almost silent, and the hens are not bad. They are good in gardens. The duck water is also good for plants.
Congratulations on ducks! I like them better than chickens.

 

[Wifezilla]

Gross kiddie pool water is good for the plants as long as it isn't too concentrated. Just add some fresh water when you put it on the plants and you will be fine.

As for noise, mine are usually only loud when I am late getting up. They do not like staying in that darn night pen!

 

[pringle]

I got the worse ducks for noise,there still kinda young so havent been quacking a whole bunch,but imagine 3 fem mallards and a fem pekin in you backyard ohhhhhh my!

 

[Dances with Ducks]

My first khaki campbell as a young hen would just start quacking for no apparant reason any at time of the day. She might go on for fifteen minutes several times a day and earned herself the name Yacky. She has mellowed a lot, but as a two year old she still likes to break out in about six to ten loud quacks first thing every morning.
I raised a group of three young crested khaki campbell hens until they were about twelve weeks old. Two of them were soooooo noisy, they just loved the sound of their own voices I think!!! The third, Carmen, is a quiet little darling with a totally spunky personality. I kept her and sold the other two. Before my Welsh Harlequin drake, Sir Frances, figured out what girls were for he loved to chase all the ladies out of the pool. When I introduced Carmen to the flock she would swim circles around him and he just couldn't chase her out of the pool. I think she really impressed him and they soon became inseparable, for a long time she was his only mate.

I do siphon my pool water onto my veggie garden, but usually no more than once a week on any one spot. Most often it goes onto the grass. I don't usually put in on veggies I am about to harvest within a couple of weeks just because of all the reports of salmonella poisening. That time frame isn't researched, it's just a reaction I had to too many creepy news reports.

I love your choice of critters - ducks, goats and silkies!!
I just wish I could get them all too!!

 

[AngieChick]

Thanks for the input, I appreciate it. I'm going to put them where the standard chickens are, but a bit closer to the soon to be ornamental garden so that I can use the water on my plants. I will absolutely dilute it. I'm really looking forward to having them, I suspect that I will like them as much as my pampered spoiled little silkies.

--Angie