Does any one else have a small yard and have ducks?

[jconnon]

I am waffling on getting a few Welsh Harlequin ducks still as I have a pretty small yard, only a 1/3 of an acre. My concern is will they be too loud and can I make a nice set up that wont take up to much space and look good. I can let them out and they would have a good size fenced in area to roam about in but I also have a small koi pond that would present a problem with as well. Does anyone here have a small yard setup that works well?

 

[dotknott]

Ducks can be a bit noisy. In my experience though they aren't consistently noisy throughout the day but one will announce your presence when you pull up the driveway and the rest will try to decide if they want to take up the call or just coo a bit. They will make noise for all kinds of reasons, and no reason at all!

Food's here? NOISE
Food's out? NOISE
I laid an egg? NOISE
The egg you laid scared me when it appeared next to me? NOISE
There's a duck in the coop and I can't see her because I'm not in the coop? NOISE
I'm in the coop alone? NOISE
The lady with the treats is here? NOISE
The lady with the treats is getting in her car? NOISE

You get the idea.

Every morning when I go out to let them out of the coop there is one duck who knows I'm coming as soon as I close the back door. She makes such a ruckus I worried about the neighbors until I sent the SO out one morning to let them out and I realized I could barely hear them from inside the house. Granted, I have more than 1/3 acre and my neighbors are spaced pretty far out, but my coop is within 50ft from my bedroom window.

 

[dotknott]

One of my favorite recent reasons for noise: it's 3:30 am and there's a Heron in the stream. We can't see it, because we're in the coop, but WE KNOW IT'S THERE.

This one admittedly woke us up.

 

[dgibson0604]

i have 5 kc that arent quite at laying age and they are not loud but they are talkative just not loud

 

[fourkidsandduck]

I live in a subdivision and share block walls with two neighbors. The duck pen is about 8 x 8 feet, they have a coup and a water swimming tub. I chose Muscovy ducks because of my tight situation. They are great for the urban homesteader, quiet. Now that I have them I love them to death and I'm not sure if I will ever own another breed.

 

[jconnon]

I live in a subdivision and share block walls with two neighbors. The duck pen is about 8 x 8 feet, they have a coup and a water swimming tub. I chose Muscovy ducks because of my tight situation. They are great for the urban homesteader, quiet. Now that I have them I love them to death and I'm not sure if I will ever own another breed.

Just curious how many do you have?

 

[fourkidsandduck]

I have three adults, going to up the flock size 4-6 more that are ducklings now. That will max it out.