HELP!! My Neighbours have complained twice now!

[Lacrystol]

So now that we have established the ducks are not going to get any quieter and you do not want to rehome them, it is time to sit down with your neighbor. Invite them over for a meal or at least a snack and discuss the situation with him/her. Find out what exactly is the problem and do not settle for "the ducks are noisy". Is there a specific time where its a huge problem? Does he/she have young children napping etc. Until you determine the exact, specific issue it will be difficult to determine a course of action. Share with the neighbor how important ducks are to you and how they are such a big part of your lives. Show them the duck run and all the effort that went into it. Make them see that they are integral to your happiness, otherwise you become "that" neighbor who has a flock of annoying ducks.

Invite the neighbor over and find out if there is something in particular that is driving him/her nuts and help her understand how much the ducks mean to you. Most of the time there is a root cause that is then covered up by "your animal is noisy".

She will need to do something, if the neighbor makes that "call", GUESS what, all the ducks will have to go.

I think rehoming a few versus, all of them with HUGE fines is probably worth it. Hopefully, they can rectify something with the neighbors because Neighbors that are NOT understanding will Make that call because they could careless about "your Happiness". If the call is made it's going to be a HEAFTY Fine PER animal and they will need to be gone in a short time.

Unless you can do what a friend of mine did, SHE put up a FIGHT and had the RULES change, she lived in a place where they could NOT have any chickens or ducks now they can have a limited number of them.. So if the "call" is made get ready to either FIGHT and have the RULES change or be prepared to get rid of them all.

Crossing fingers something can be worked out with the neighbors, but even if they do make the "call" I bet they deny it..

 

[cayugaducklady]

Your duck habitat is gorgeous.

I wonder if something like http://www.lixit.com/node/902 would help keep the ducks busy & result in less noise.

I'm sorry that you're having to worry about this. You obviously love your flock. I'd be heartbroken if i had to deal with this issue.

 

[CALLDUCKS29]

Hi Again sorry for the delay in reply, I haven't been on here for a day or two.

Again Thanks for the advice.

They are a little noisy first thing in a morning but haven't been in and out like a Yo-Yo .

Temporary Improvement I'm guessing.

We found that mother duck kept flying to the upper level in the duck and looking over to the houses across the road and quacking, There are some cats that live across the road that sit in the windows, Maybe she was quacking to warn the others of the cats?

For a trial we have covered up her view of the neighbours across the road using some tarpaulin so she can't see them and to be honest she doesn't seem to quack anything like as much.

Maybe that was a root causing of the majority of the quacking?

Lets see how it goes I guess.

We are planning to bring our neighbour round once he has gone back to work, Then ask him how he thinks the noise levels and frequency have been. When he is at work he is out 9-5 most of the time and the ducks tend to be mostly quiet on an evening.

Asking him when he has gone back to work because thats whats normal most of the year other than the weeks when he takes holidays and is at home.

My neighbour is someone who would see duck shooting as a sport though - I hate people who shoot innocent animals just for 'sport' and to prove that their a 'man' Ducks and other creatures are unwilling participants!

Lauren from UK

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hopefully all your doing will make a difference, and could very well have been seeing those cats was causing distress and hopefully you have fixed that now.

Hoping the new year bring lost of enjoyment and less worry with your little Calls they are so precious

 

[Lacrystol]

Hi Again sorry for the delay in reply, I haven't been on here for a day or two.

Again Thanks for the advice.

They are a little noisy first thing in a morning but haven't been in and out like a Yo-Yo .

Temporary Improvement I'm guessing.

We found that mother duck kept flying to the upper level in the duck and looking over to the houses across the road and quacking, There are some cats that live across the road that sit in the windows, Maybe she was quacking to warn the others of the cats?

For a trial we have covered up her view of the neighbours across the road using some tarpaulin so she can't see them and to be honest she doesn't seem to quack anything like as much.

Maybe that was a root causing of the majority of the quacking?

Lets see how it goes I guess.

We are planning to bring our neighbour round once he has gone back to work, Then ask him how he thinks the noise levels and frequency have been. When he is at work he is out 9-5 most of the time and the ducks tend to be mostly quiet on an evening.

Asking him when he has gone back to work because thats whats normal most of the year other than the weeks when he takes holidays and is at home.

My neighbour is someone who would see duck shooting as a sport though - I hate people who shoot innocent animals just for 'sport' and to prove that their a 'man' Ducks and other creatures are unwilling participants!

Lauren from UK

OH YES, SHE"S PUTTING ON THE ALERT. Ducks will do that, I have seen them GO CRAZY over cats, it's funny because when a crow comes in the yard, my Ducks will CHASE after the crow but when a cat walks across. OMG, they start YAPPPING, SO glad you found the problem, now maybe everyone can have a peaceful life. WOOO HOOOOo

OH GOSH a HUNTER? I have one too. In my case, I love it when my ducks are noisy because my neighbor shoots off those dang guns for practice EARLY in the morning and it just IRRIATATES ME.. So my paybacks are my little noise makers. LOL. Lucky he hasn't tried to shoot at my ducks. I know if they go into his yard he will think it's fair game for him.

Thank god mine are smart enough to stay on the property, they are allowed to go to the neighbors house on the other side of this guy ONLY because that neighbor enjoys them and will leer them to come over. She likes them to eat all the bugs in the yard. LOL..

GOOD JOB, I hope all works out. WOO HOO and Happy new Year

 

[Lacrystol]

FYI, come mating time, they will get noisy again. So I would look at this as a temporary problem solver...

 

[CALLDUCKS29]

It is mating season for them now, The boys have taken a serious liking to one of my females, I feel sorry for her she's getting it at least 4,5 + times a day , Some of the females are also mounting other females. is this normal for ducks?


Lol at @Lacrystol , I like you sadistic sense of humour towards your neighbour re your quacking ducks.

Lauren

 

[Lacrystol]

It is mating season for them now, The boys have taken a serious liking to one of my females, I feel sorry for her she's getting it at least 4,5 + times a day , Some of the females are also mounting other females. is this normal for ducks?


Lol at @Lacrystol , I like you sadistic sense of humour towards your neighbour re your quacking ducks.

Lauren

Sometimes, I will send the cat outside JUST to get them going.LOL I don't know what it is about cats that ducks don't like. We have had the Cats WAY before the ducks, they have never even tried to go after the ducks.

Our one cat is scared to death of them. She gets really low to the ground hoping they don't see her, she is completely black. But even at night they still see her and YAP YAP YAPPING we go LOL

I don't recall my females mating with each other? I would think the boys would take care of that. HUM. I love how the girls will bob there heads, yapping away and follow the boys.

Perhaps your girls are trying to team up. I mean all my girls have a mate and since you don't have a boy for each female perhaps they are grabbing anyone to be there partner for life..

Mine will split up into groups, kind of funny because one group will be by the house, while the other group is at the edge of the property. OH WHAT FUN this is. They start YAPPING at each other, LOL, the group at the house will be quiet but the group at the edge of the property, NEXT TO THE HUNTER NEIGHBOR LOL, Will start YAPPING SOOOOO LOUD. haha calling for the other group. They will do this at 1, 2 sometimes 3 in the morning. LOL I LOVE IT..

 

[Lacrystol]

Hunter or NOT, my ducks will teach anyone a lesson. LOL. I just kick back and listen to the YAPS. LOL..

 

[cayugaducklady]

Mine will split up into groups, kind of funny because one group will be by the house, while the other group is at the edge of the property. OH WHAT FUN this is. They start YAPPING at each other, LOL, the group at the house will be quiet but the group at the edge of the property, Will start YAPPING SOOOOO LOUD. haha calling for the other group.

I call that Quack Wars.

I have four ducks that are usually paired off 2x2. When the two pairs are together they're super quiet. When they go in different direction the talker for each pair starts quack-yelling at the other pair to convince them to join them. It continues until one pair moves and they're all together.

Glad to hear you found a solution .