Lots of duck questions

[ShrekDawg]

So I have chickens right now but I've always wanted ducks and have been thinking about it a lot tonight. Mostly because I recently switched my 8 16 week old pullets to layer pellets which they HATE and it was recommended I go back to starter/grower crumbles or all flock/flock raiser/similar either for life or until they actually lay and I was thinking "well if I'm gonna go to all flock I may as well have ALL flock" always a good time to dream, right??

SO.

I don't know if my parents are going to let me get ducks or even more chickens but they may let me get another animal (considering goats, rabbits, or a second cat. Goats are a rather large expense though) so maybe ducks could be added.

Anyway, I like planning and also daydreaming and this also may help me decide if they're for me so I have a few questions. I think I had a similar thread once but that was a little while ago (I think?) And idk where it is.

So.

1. Are ducks loud? I believe I remember hearing that it's the opposite of roosters and the females are the loud ones?

2. If number 1 is true, can males be kept without females?

3. Quietest breeds?

4. Friendliest?

Also going off number 1 sort of, are they MESSY?

I have heard that they are far louder, messier, and smellier than chickens but don't know how true that is.

My chickens so far have been very clean, non smelly animals (except if I don't clean the coop for a while or before when it rained and the run became a muddy poopy mess (before I added shavings to it) and you can't smell them even if you are in the yard so if ducks are going to be these extremely messy smelly things and require tons of work or be loud, smelly, and messy, enough to bug the neighbors or us then maybe I don't want them. But they seem worth it and this could be myth.

I mostly want them for pets I think so male or female does not matter. I've never had duck eggs before. The chickens are pets but also for eggs.

Also do they do fine if I got something like all flock or are there duck specific feeds I should use instead?

Thank you in advance for your help

 

[cavemanrich]

Reason I don't have ducks is ..... ( I only have chickens as pets like you.)
Ducks would need separate housing (coop) They do not sit on roost.
Ducks would benefit from a small pool, pond, ETC. I don't have one and If I did, it is an EXTRA effort to keep clean.
Consult your Superiors if such things fit into your facilities.
You could just add a duck to your flock of chickens, but I'm not sure it would be happy.

WISHING YOU BEST

 

[ShrekDawg]

Reason I don't have ducks is .....    ( I only have chickens as pets like you.)
Ducks would need separate housing (coop)    They do not sit on roost.
Ducks would benefit from a small pool, pond, ETC.   I don't have one and If I did,  it is an EXTRA effort to keep clean. 
Consult your  Superiors if  such things fit into your facilities. 
You could just add a duck to your flock  of chickens, but I'm not sure it would be happy.
WISHING YOU BEST   

Thank you very much! Your reasons are essentially the same as mine! I don't so much mind them having to be in a separate area but I was definitely worried about the water source thing because it seems like they would get it dirty really fast or splash water all over the place. We have a few kiddy pools laying around so wouldn't be so hard to make them a pool but to me it's a matter of how fast they'd get it dirty and if it's worth it. Plus the spike in the water bill

I'll definitely consult though and see. And yeah, I don't know if just one would be happy but perhaps I could add in 2. But I don't want them destroying the chickens nice clean run

Thanks again

 

[TLWR]

My chicken makes more of a mess than my duck in their pen.
If you have them together, get females. Male ducks can injure or kill a chicken if he decides to mate them.
Girls can be loud. When my girls start chatting, they can be loud, but the chicken is just as loud when she gets going. They are noisier. Some days I don't think my girls can walk without chatting as they go.
As long as you clean, they aren't any smellier than chickens. They do have different water needs.

 

[ShrekDawg]

My chicken makes more of a mess than my duck in their pen.
If you have them together, get females. Male ducks can injure or kill a chicken if he decides to mate them.
Girls can be loud. When my girls start chatting, they can be loud, but the chicken is just as loud when she gets going. They are noisier. Some days I don't think my girls can walk without chatting as they go.
As long as you clean, they aren't any smellier than chickens. They do have different water needs.

Thanks for all the info! I had forgotten about the males possibly trying to breed with them! Even if they're in a separate pen they might free range together sometime and I don't have a rooster so I may as well get girls. Although I could possibly let them out at alternating times but that's more work ahah that's good to know they're about the same volume, even if they do it more. I was worried they'd be especially loud and nois . Of the neighbors can't hear or smell the chickens do you think they'd be able to ducks? That's good they're not too smelly though. And for the waterer does it have to be a pool and/or open?