Backyard ducks, how messy are they?

[alyssars1]

I have been wanting backyard chickens, but I am now toying with the idea of possibly 2 ducks (pets).
How messy could I expect 2 ducks to be? haha Are they going to smell bad for the neighbers? Can they fly over a 6ft fence? Can they be pretty friendly? Tell me the good and bad!

 

[SurferchickinSB]

I have been wanting backyard chickens, but I am now toying with the idea of possibly 2 ducks (pets).
How messy could I expect 2 ducks to be? haha Are they going to smell bad for the neighbers? Can they fly over a 6ft fence? Can they be pretty friendly? Tell me the good and bad!

I think they are way messier than chickens.

 

[PirateGirl]

They are stinkier than chickens, but with only two, even in a small yard, I wouldn't really worry about stink with the neighbors.

Their poop (which there is a lot of) is better for your plants than the chickens' and won't harm them.

They won't scratch up and destroy things as much as the chickens, but that's not to say they don't like noodling in the dirt and making mud wherever they can.

They are generally noisier than chickens.

Most domestic breeds cannot fly and will not be able to fly over a 6ft fence.

 

[quackiemama]

I love ducks, yes they can be messy but boy do they make you smile!

 

[Roo5]

Ducks are funny,but I’ve never owned a duck who would allow me to to touch it.I raisednducklinsg who would follow me as if I wa s their mother but never let me lay a hand,way harder taming a duck then a chicken.The closest I can get is allowing them to eat feed from my hand, that’s it.They are very messy, but just two shouldn’t be an issue.

 

[sourland]

Ducks are quirky, entertaining, and in my experience rather easy to tame (especially in small groups), but they are messy. They will splash water around, drill holes in your ground in the wet spots, and as for their feces -----------------

 

[PirateGirl]

and aside from quacking, they make a really cute array of quieter chattery noises, often accompanied by tail wagging and head bobbing

 

[Jpat]

and aside from quacking, they make a really cute array of quieter chattery noises, often accompanied by tail wagging and head bobbing

I can hear out the window if my pekin found something tasty, She makes different littke sounds for everything shes doing haha

 

[Gerty0630]

Unless you have tons of ducks in a small area outside, you nor your neighbors will smell them. That’s not to say they aren’t messy and they don’t poop a lot because I’d be a giant liar if I said that. Most domestic ducks won’t fly over a 6 foot fence. You are the sole variable of them being friendly or not. If you walk out with them and talk to them every day, and hand feed them treats on the regular, you should have no issue with two ducks being social. However they will not be social with everyone. My first two ducks knew me as their feeder and treat giver even though my fiancé is around all day every day. I go outside with a bag of treats and they come running to me. He goes outside and they squak and run away.

 

[chickens really]

They are messy and drill holes in the lawn. Also flies can be an issue depending on your set up.