17 chicks and maybe 2 ducks. How messy are two ducks?

[Madhouse Pullet]

Yes! We got two "female" welsh harlequins. It is looking like one is definitely a male, raspy voice and yellow bill. The female quacks very loud and has a dark bill. They get along great with the chickens. Not sure what we will do if the male tries to over mate. Luckily the female is the dominant one, so I'm hoping they will do fine as a pair, and he won't hurt the chickens. The two ducks are so bonded, we wouldn't be able to get rid of him. We could always separate them from the chickens if need be.

They are 10 weeks old now. The poop is not an issue at all, but we keep them on grass/dirt/wood chips in a large space. The female is louder than I expected for a welsh, but maybe compared to other ducks breeds, she is quieter.

We love having them! They definitely aren't as easy as the chickens. They make a mess of the water, but that's really about it. They also seem so protective of our chickens. If one gets too far away while I am outside letting them free range, our female ducks quacks her head off till the chicken comes back. Silly creatures!

That's exciting! I ordered 2 female cayuga ducklings from MPC, thinking I did a lot of research. Then, my husband started asking questions that I hadn't thought of, and I went from "YEAH!" to "hmmmmmmm" Haha but I have my fingers crossed.
I am mainly nervous about the sound. I was told Cayugas were considered a quiet breed but since ordering, I have heard otherwise. We live within city limits so it may not last very long if someone complains.

 

[lps1215]

I have 4 female Welsh Harlequin ducks around 3 months old in a coop with 12 Serama chickens. They are a lot more messier than chickens but I try to control that by using poultry nipples in a 5 gal bucket as their waterer. I also give them fresh water to clean their beak, head, and eyes with in a flower pot-deep enough to stick their neck in and not their whole body (it's about a 2 gallon flower pot, no drainage holes in the bottom). This has worked very well for me. Little to no mess and a lot of water not wasted! We used the traditional poultry waterers and we could not keep shavings or straw out of it. It was always nasty and I felt bad for the chickens having to share with 4 messy ducks. Make sure you apply fresh hay or shavings frequently to help with the poop and smell. I recommend you buy Muscovies if you're looking for a quiet duck breed. Pekins and Anconas free range in my yard and they typically wake me up every morning with their quacking. Just like an alarm clock! I believe you should be fine with only 2 ducks and they shouldn't cause too much of a mess for you if you choose to use some of my methods! We love our ducks and I will be excited to start getting some fresh duck eggs!

 

[Madhouse Pullet]

I have 4 female Welsh Harlequin ducks around 3 months old in a coop with 12 Serama chickens. They are a lot more messier than chickens but I try to control that by using poultry nipples in a 5 gal bucket as their waterer. I also give them fresh water to clean their beak, head, and eyes with in a flower pot-deep enough to stick their neck in and not their whole body (it's about a 2 gallon flower pot, no drainage holes in the bottom). This has worked very well for me. Little to no mess and a lot of water not wasted! We used the traditional poultry waterers and we could not keep shavings or straw out of it. It was always nasty and I felt bad for the chickens having to share with 4 messy ducks. Make sure you apply fresh hay or shavings frequently to help with the poop and smell. I recommend you buy Muscovies if you're looking for a quiet duck breed. Pekins and Anconas free range in my yard and they typically wake me up every morning with their quacking. Just like an alarm clock! I believe you should be fine with only 2 ducks and they shouldn't cause too much of a mess for you if you choose to use some of my methods! We love our ducks and I will be excited to start getting some fresh duck eggs!

Thank you for the suggestions! I'll definitely keep them in mind when my ducks arrive. I should have chosen the muscovies but maybe it's something to try later.
Love the pictures!