Ideal breed of duck for my situation?

[newfmom]

After years of raising poultry, I've decided to get a couple of ducks. I don't have any birds right now, just a lovable newf. I am currently considering getting runners, but I'm open to other possibilities too. I want something that is relatively quiet since I live close to neighbors and something that will help keep slugs and other pests at bay. Also, a duck that can't fly over the fencing, which I know most of the domesticated ducks don't anyways. Egg production isn't a major concern for me. Also, we have cats roaming the yard, but they will be in their enclosure and we do have the dog who chases them off. Any suggestions and personal experience with different breeds will help!

 

[JulieNKC]

I got pekins, khaki campbells, and anconas this spring. I just rehomed my pekins because my girl was LOUD! And 5 ducks was just plain too messy lol. I like my khaki girl, but I love my anconas. They are so neat looking, my daughter calls them her skunk ducks lol. They are fairly quiet, unless they think I have peas. None of my ducks has done more than run around the yard with their wings stretched out like a little kid playing airplane. No attempt for liftoff even.
Runners are pretty comical looking, and I think welsh harlequins are beautiful. Good luck picking your ducks!

 

[gryeyes]

Cayugas. Beautiful black with iridescent blue/green sheen. Medium heavy breed, so no flying over fences once they mature to full size. Sociable. Relatively quiet - the female has a loud quack but I've discovered they don't quack very much. My girls gotta be really ticked off to quack, and then it's about three, maybe four quacks in a row. Call ducks, by comparison, have a LOT to say, and are louder than the Cayugas.

Fairly good layers - I got five eggs a week from one hen, routinely Don't appear to be seasonal layers like other breeds.

 

[keyt1969]

I have Pekins, Runners, Cayugas, Calls, Mallards, Muskovies and Swedish mixes.

DO NOT get Pekins if you're worried about noise.
My Runners are the next loudest!!
If you want NO noise, get Muskovies. The males make a hiss and the females make a very faint pip. They're very sweet, don't fly and come in various wonderful colors. They're also FANTASTIC bug killers. When sitting near the duck run (we do every morning and night) we don't have a fly or mosquito problem at all! They eat anything they can catch!!

 

[veronicasmom]

My Runner girl is LOUD, the pekin is pretty loud too, sometimes she almost sounds like a goose! And my little mixed breed duck, while pretty small is also pretty loud.
Get a few boys and no girls and you can get whatever you want, they are much quieter. Unless you want eggs.

 

[TLWR]

My runner girls went through a loud phase and now they are pretty quiet girls. Every once in a while they start quacking up a storm, but they are done a couple of minutes later and good for a few more days before they get their feathers in a twist over something and get noisy again.