Might have to rehome a very noisy KC!

[Corrigan]

So I called city hall today, to find out whether or not we're legal, because this one Khaki Campbell apparently feels it is her duty to the world to quack non-stop...LOUDLY. lol I am not bothered by it, but I'm pretty sure my neighbors might not appreciate it and I really don't want them to get mad and call code enforcement on me, since I was told it's only legal if they're a THOUSAND feet from a residence! (WTH?)

We have another KC female that I know is a female because she can quack, she just chooses not to. She's very quiet. Then we have a Pekin that can be really noisy when she feels like it, but it's usually only 2 or three times a day for a few minutes. The Pekin is much louder than the KC when she gets going, but she really only does it if she wants food or she sees us in the back and she's not roaming the whole yard. (They have a large area of the yard fenced off to keep them off the patio.) This one KC, though...The stress of constantly worrying about the neighbors getting mad and reporting us is not worth it.

I'm really bummed about it, but I don't know what else to do when I'm trying to surreptitiously break the law. lol Anyone have any recommendations for a QUIET female duck (other than muscovy)?

 

[ExpLo721]

Hehe, at one point I wanted to put a sound proof box w/ airholes around my ducks. At least then most of the sound is contained.

 

[NancyDz]

My muscovies don't make a peep... are prolific egg layers , and friendly..... what ya scared of a little carunkle?

 

[hendrix25]

My Cayugas are quiet. The drake has just realize he has a voice and quacks (very low and raspy) (sounds like a regular quack with a chest cold.) The other two females are very passive, they just tweet/peep more than anything. I have never heard them from inside my house and they are about 15 feet from my master bd window. They are really good ducks. Very homey...stay in their little area (40x30) even when they're free ranging. i don't limit them, they just don't roam. heres some most recent pics.

Swimming in their pool

Axel (my very calm female)

 

[headred]

I, too, live in the middle of town and have a loud quacker, pekin. In the last few weeks I had to let a few of my drakes go, 4 total, now have maybe 5 female and one male. Seems like when the drakes left all things mellowed A BUNCH!! I was feeling the same way, but have kept in good communication with my neighbors. They all tell me they like the big white one the best (loudest) because she's so comical. So maybe it isn't as bad as you think. Communication might be the key.

 

[Wifezilla]

I had a mouthy buff. While I liked her egg laying abilities, my neighbors live too close for he quacking her fool head off for no reason. I sold her and her boyfriend (my khaki drake) as a mated pair for $20. I hatched out a daughter from these two and Uno is as loud as mom, but she can't seem to maintain the quacking for 30 minute intervals like mom did (thank goodness!).

But in all seriousness, my buff was still not as loud as the neighborhood dogs.

 

[chickensioux]

Quote:

I love my 'scovies!

 

[headred]

I agree with Wifezilla about the neighborhood dogs. My neighbors have often commented that the ducks aren't NEAR the noise of the barking dogs!

 

[Corrigan]

I just thought muscovies didn't lay many eggs and that's the main reason we got ducks.

I'm so glad I didn't get 7 lectures about how mean I am to "get rid of" a pet like that. Talking to one of my animal lover friends, you'd think I'd decided to cut its legs off and watch it suffer, just for fun.

She thinks it's terrible to rehome animals, because "you've made a commitment to care for them." Explaining that I'm not just going to dump it in a pond somewhere doesn't even stop her lecturing me. This board rocks.

I really think she's going to have to go, along with one of the drakes. She's just SO noisy all day long. I mean, she does rest every now and then, but if she's not resting, she's screaming. I might even have to let the Pekin go, depending on what the neighbors say. My plan is to talk to them tomorrow when they get home from work. She's not nearly so talkative, but when she gets going she is REALLY loud - louder than the khaki. And she will cause a ruckus if she thinks it's time for a treat or wants out of their area. I honestly don't mind all the noise - I think it's funny - but I can't have someone calling code enforcement or animal control on me.

Now I just have to figure out a way to get just one or two ducklings of a quieter breed, which doesn't seem like an easy task. lol Are khakis generally quiet? My other khaki duck rarely ever makes noise...They seem pretty easy to find at the local feed stores, but the only other breeds anyone seems to get in are rouens and pekins.

 

[Ducklove334]

when you get ducks,especially hens, you can EXPECT quacking, and usually lots of it, call hens are really loud and talk ALOT, when I had mine, she talked non-stop, she was addorible though.

my 2-3 year old pekin hen barely makes a sound, she hasn't felt good the past few days, I think it's all the rain.

my mallards only get going when they're REALLY excited, otherwise, they're quiet.

my blue swed. Sage used to talk ALOT, now she's pretty quiet except when I come around, then I think she gets excited to see me.

Junna, my magpie is a BIG talker, not as bad as she was, but once she learned she COULD quack, she DID..all the time.

the runners are probly the loudest of the girls, but they don't quack much either.

actually the boys talk waaay more than the girls do, but they are just quiet about it

but, have hen ducks = expect quacking

ETA: what did city hall say??< if it's legal to have ducks where you are, theres NOTHING your nieghbors can do, except move

, I wouldn't give up my ducks for anyone.