I need to move to the country because

[rabbithaus]

Silver appleyards and Welsh Harlequins have to be two of the best fowl breeds ever! Ducks are so cute!! Silly DH loves suburbia but I want ducks (and geese)!!

But I've very happy I can have chickens because I couldn't where we lived before.

 

[Soccer Mom]

Waterfowl are completely addictive. The best of both worlds is finding a spot in the country just outside of suburbia.

I'm actually way out in the boonies and it takes me an hour to get to work, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I dragged my citified husband out to the country and now I can't get the man off his tractor. LOL!


Psst: I'm smitten with WH too. I've decided I must have them in the spring.

 

[tonycarbs]

13 miles outside city limits, 60 acres and one tree. (West Texas)

I can't imagine having my geese and ducks anywhere else.

 

[rabbithaus]

Yeah, rub it in.

Except for no roos, there is no restriction so I could have the ducks. But I try not to think of that much. I like my neighbors-the chooks will be odd enough around here that loud smelly ducks wouldn't be fair. Even worse-the previous owners built a 'dog yard' that would be perfect for ducks-2 sides privacy fence, 1 side house, and 1 5ft chain link fence and gate that goest into the main yard. Best part? The grass was replaced with smooth pebbles for great drainage.

 

[FenDruadin]

I think ducks are *more* neighborhood friendly than chickens, not less. Yeah, they're messy and yeah, they quack. But the mess is usually contained within their own yard, and it doesn't have to be stinky or bug-attracting if it's well managed. And the quacking is way less annoying than a barking dog, and it's not going to be constant, especially if they are happy ducks. Ducks are cute, and people associate them with neighborhood ponds and parks, and not with farms, so they tend to be better accepted than chickens.

Dog runs really are a great way to keep them, and pebbles would be a great substrate. Why not give it a shot? Or even just start by asking the neighbors what they think--they might surprise you.

 

[Soccer Mom]

You could keep a small number of ducks there quite happily and yes, they are much less noisy than my neighbor's roo! Three ducks and a drake would be dandy. Some breeds are quieter than others and they don't have to stink.

 

[rabbithaus]

Quote:
Enablers!! I love y'all!!

I had actually thought of the bolded quote myself. I mean, cityfolk *purposely* try to find ducks feed and watch...not so much beating down farm doors to see chickens. The only problem is the 'dog yard' is right along my fence line. Our lots are very slightly pie shaped so the run is half along neighbor's back yard and half along their front. Probably 15-2o ft from their house. I'd be looking at getting 3 birds whether duck or chicken. I hadn't planned on using this area for the chickens because I can't see it from inside the house and proximity to the neighbor's house.

Of course, I should probably find some duck eggs to try-what if we don't like them?

I'd hate to still have to buy eggs.

Wait a minute. Drakes.do.not.crow. That means I could keep one. Babies!! Showing!! Oh, why can't ducks not like water and talking!!

 

[ridgefire]

Ducks are louder than the chickens in my yard. We have 4 hens and when they get to talking, you can hear them with the tv and the A/C running.

My poor rooster gets showed up by the ducks, he tries to be the loudest but like a typical females they just talk over him.

 

[FenDruadin]

Enablers!! I love y'all!!

Yup. More ducks more happiness.

Drakes are actually quieter than duck hens, so no worries there. So, yeah, you could have babies. Who doesn't love baby ducks?

As for water, most breeds of duck are perfectly happy with a kiddie pool to mess around in. Do they love lakes & ponds? Sure. But mine don't even use our lake any more, I think because of the enormous snapping turtle who lives there. Instead, they wander the neighborhood stopping traffic and eating the neighbor's grass seed and digging holes in everyone's mud. My neighbors don't seem to mind--in fact, the ones I talk to all tell me they love seeing my ducks (and geese, I might add, which are much louder than ducks) wandering the neighborhood.

I still think you should ask your neighbors what they think about ducks. Some breeds are louder quackers than others, so you can choose a quiet-ish breed.

As an aside, in our former neighborhood, the HOA had strict rules about animals, so that chickens and even ducks were out of the question. Nevertheless, the PRESIDENT of the HOA kept a couple decorative ducks on the community pond, and sheltered & fed them in winter. No one NO ONE ever complained (and trust me, having served as president of the same HOA for a term, folks complained about absolutely everything else in the world). Just a thought.

An enabling thought.

​

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

Gotta be an enabler

I have 10 chickens and 9 ducks (4 are ducklings). I live about 20 miles outside the city limits and have only about 3/4 acre. My neighbors complained about the bantam roo crowing at 1am so he's gone, but no complaints about the others. I think the chickens are noisier than the ducks. When the hens get ready to lay, they make alot of noise. My silver Appleyard ducks quack every now and then pretty loud but they sound like they're laughing. I think the neighbors get a kick out of it.

I love my ducks