Ducks....

[featherfurmom]

Over the last two years my DH and I have been renting a house with a pond in the backyard. Everyday two Swedish Blues and a Muscovy (bffs) would come to my house, at the same time, for treats and attention. They were the best part of my day after spending it with crazy kids (im a teacher). Now that we are moving into our forever home I want to have my own pet ducks. Trust me, I have thought about loading Larry the Muscovy and his Ladies up into the moving truck and taking them with me but I am sure they would be miserable being away from their forever home and the neighbors would kill me. =p However, I can't imagine my life without ducks as part of the family. I am moving into a suburban neighborhood without a pond and we will be living on 1/3 acre of land. What is the best duck breed to get for this? I don't want to annoy my new neighbors with a lot of quacking (like the Ladies) but the Larry's can fly and I dont want to clip wings. I also have an African Grey and I hate clipping his wings and really don't want to do this to my new babies if it can be avoided. Do Scovies fly off? I have an outside cat but he has been around the Ladies and Larry so much and just lays there and watches them without amusement. I would love a Pekin but they are loud like the Blues. I really love Swedish Blues because they are so funny and have so much personality and are so happy to please (even the wild ladies) but I am sure my neighbors wouln't appreciate the "quaaaacccckkkk quack quack quack" as much as I do. Is it really that bad when they are domesticated? Scovies are great and I think I am probably the only person I know that LOVES the way they look and wag their tails but they have super sharp claws. What would you recommend? Again, remember my house will be on 1/3 acre between two neighbors. I have a smaller backyard but with room with a coop and a small pond we are installing before the babies arrive along with a kiddie pool that is easy to dump. Our back yard is fenced and our front yard is huge. I plan on growing tomatoes and peppers at the new house but nothing more than that for a garden. Thanks!

 

[nayeli]

I had Welsh Harlequins, they are gorgeous ducks, good egg layers, and if you raise them from ducklings and spend time with them can be social. They had a coop, a kiddie pool, and free ranged the privacy fenced in backyard. I only got rid of them because my dog almost hurt them... but they are incredible and once I know for sure where we will be for a while I'll get them a safer set up away from my dog and get some.

You would need to clip their wings but it doesn't hurt them. They are also quieter than some other ducks.

 

[FaerieGlynne]

Wait I thought WH didn't fly or need their wings clipped. I was going to get one. Am I wrong?
How about pekins, blue Swedish, and cayugas? These are the breeds I want and I thought that none of them would fly.
Sorry, don't mean to hijack the thread.

 

[TLWR]

If you just want them as pals and not for eggs, just pick up a couple of males - for the mallard derived breeds, they have a quiet raspier sound that shouldn't annoy the neighbors.

 

[lomine]

My WH don't get more than 4 inches off the ground. Though when they have something to say they can get really loud. But it's not a constant thing.

 

[buff goose guy]

Wait I thought WH didn't fly or need their wings clipped. I was going to get one. Am I wrong?
How about pekins, blue Swedish, and cayugas? These are the breeds I want and I thought that none of them would fly.
Sorry, don't mean to hijack the thread.

good quality and pure bred WH's dont fly according to breed standard.

as for your situation how many ducks do u want ?

 

[FaerieGlynne]

Me? I want 100! Lol but I'm getting 4-6

 

[seashoreduck]

I got a variety of ducks from Metzer last year. I LOVE my WH, out of all of them they are by far my favorite. They flit and dodge but can't really fly and they only make noise when something really gets them going--namely my dog barking or a desil engine. And the females are goooooorgesssss.

 

[RavenClawPekin6]

Don't get Call or Pekin ducks if you want quietness. Definately not.
I have two khaki campbells and they are loud, but I know other Khaki Campbells that are not so loud at all.
Mallards are a quiet breed but they're not that good for laying eggs.

 

[Welshies]

I LOVE Muscovies! I love their looks, tails, size, and habits! I am in love with the breed!

Scovies also eat bugs, better than other breeds, and are less at risk from predators. If you give them a month in their new home, they can then be let out to free range, and most don't fly away if given a secure place at night, loving family, good food, and nesting areas.
I would recommend Scovies, because they are quiet and adorable. If you handle them early on, they actually get TAMER than other breeds. Worried about their claws? Dull them a bit with a file or dog clippers every month.
If you want a MD breed (Mallard-derived breed) too, whether for SUPER laying or just their looks, you can get some hens to go with your Muscovies. However, you can only let the Scovies hatch the Scovy eggs because a Scovy crossed with a MD breed causes an infertile crossbreed- great for meat, but bad for laying or much else.
My dream set up would be this: mostly Scovies, and then a few Khaki Campbells for laying (they rarely go broody) with only Muscovy drakes.