More on Ducks vs. Chickens?

[starting.from.scratch]

Hey all, I am new here, and totally new to raising poultry. As in, I've been doing lots of reading up on it, but haven't taken the plunge officially...
We live in a neighborhood (for now) outside of the city limits, hoping to have land in about 3 years. So for now, we've got about a 1/2 an acre, fenced w/ 6 foot privacy fencing. And CRAWFISH.
Lots and lots of them - can't walk in the yard without tripping over a castle or falling in a hole, despite the fact we've added over 10 yards of dirt and sand (my husband is a landscaper, so he knows how to fix drainage) and built raised beds for our gardens.
Since having a chicken (or 2) or a duck (or 2) sounds like one step closer to the farm for me, I've been researching. Since it sounds like they'll eat the crawfish, my husband thinks it sounds great.

I have a toddler who loves animals and really is gentle. I've talked to a man who has Silkies and Orpington chickens - he says a couple of them would be fine, despite seasonal wet conditions (it is MS, after all) but then another man said a duck would do better. We've got a dog house that my little dogs are scared of, but the roof comes off, the floor is removable and it's for a dog about the size of a lab. I thought that could be used as housing...?

Ideally, I'd like to have a bird or 2 that will just hang out in the yard, that we can have as a pet, feeding and playing with. (and watching it eat the crawfish

) I'd thought about getting a Silkie and then a couple of duck eggs and letting the Silkie raise the ducks? Any thoughts??? I'd love some eggs, too, but I guess I will get some either way?
I don't want my yard to be torn up but it is 1/2 an acre, and noise is a concern. We are diligent about cleanliness, but I do have a toddler...?

Thanks in advance for your time with this.

 

[Corrigan]

I'm no expert, as these are our first ducks (we have 5) and they're only 8 weeks or so old, but my lot's just over 3/4 of an acre and my ducks have come nowhere near tearing it up. Most of the time we keep them shut up over in a small corner of the yard, because otherwise they will not stay off the patio! It's cute when they're pecking at the back door, but not so cute when you step out and the whole patio is covered in duck poop the day after you power washed it. Anyway, even their small corner is mostly still intact. I don't know about other ducks, but mine haven't created new bare spots in the grass - they've just expanded the ones that were there already. lol Luckily we didn't have many, so it's all good.

And I don't know about everyone else's ducks, but mine are kind of noisy. I don't mind it - they aren't that noisy - but I'm always afraid it will annoy my neighbors. It's in spurts, though; they're quiet for a couple hours, then ridiculously loud for 20 minutes.

 

[kargo]

I keep both and would personally reccommend ducks over cickens. Ducks are a little messier, but they are a ton more friendly, not super noisy (well, but it like this-they can't crow.), and they are great little animals. I think the dog house sounds okay. Does it have a door? Make sure the dog house is secure from predators. (That may include your dogs.) Oh, and about the toddler. Whatever you do get, make sure he/she does not drop the duck/and or chicken when they're really little. Even if its and accident, they can die from being dropped. One more thing. I would not get one bird. Ducks and chickens are extremely social, and will just peep their little heads off if they are left aloen for more than 2 minutes.

 

[Wifezilla]

Get a couple of these....

Welsh Harlequins are great ducks. Much less hyper than runners or khakis. Quieter than buffs. Also they are champion egg layers.

I have (or have had) khakis, a runner, a buff, a rouen, and now Welsh Harlequins. My Welsh Harlequin girls are as friendly (if not friendlier) as my khaki/buff mutt I hatched from an egg and handled a lot. Considering they came from a hatchery, that's pretty good. My other hatchery baby, a rouen drake, it a little skittish. My runner is afraid of her own shadow and wont get closer than 2 feet to me, but I got her as an adult.

 

[starting.from.scratch]

Thanks so much!

Wifezilla, I'd seen your posts on the baby harlequins, and that helped in thinking ducks really would be the way to go...Had considered runners, since the whole rice paddy thing, but personality really goes a long way.

Corrigan, thanks for the heads up about the patio...am trying to figure out how to maybe fence that area off. Am trying to do all the planning before I get them...

And kargo, thank you. Was planning on adding a little screen door to it, cute it up for now and provide a little window..? Thinking I might do some sort of movable fence to block off an area of the yard at a time, to protect my patio, especially! Also, I've seen most hatcheries have a minimum order of 10 - thinking that I could get the day old chicks and raise them til feathered, picking 3 of the most personable, then have the rest go live at mother in law's house with a pond. She's always wanted some ducks, so it works out for all of us. Is 3 a good number if I want pets, primarily?

Thanks, this website is absolutely wonderful!!

 

[Chick_a_dee]

Aww but Wife, the noise is what its alllll about, although mine are still terrified of me they make lovely quacks all day long in the yard. Quack Quack here, Quack Quack there... oh look a bug, Quack. It's fantastic.

 

[Wifezilla]

I like quacking, it is the loud SQUACK QUACK SQUACK that only a female buff can do that drove me nuts. I don't miss Lana very much...LOL

 

[Calebs Acre]

Wife...how noisy are the WHs? Good for smaller, suburbanites?

 

[Wifezilla]

So far so good for the WH. They just learned to quack today

They sound pretty ridiculous

Anyway, my buff mutt was LOUD as all heck today. Sounds just like her mother

But it turns out she had a reason. Chrissy had escaped from the pen and was hiding under the tool box. Once I figured out where she was, big mouth calmed down.

Of all the ducks I have had, the khakis have been the quietest. The Welsh girls are pretty close to the khakis. My runner is not that loud, but I think that has more to do with her low pecking order status than anything.

 

[taraann81]

Did you research Muscovies? They are VERY personable and they don't quack. The girls make the cutest quite little trilling sound, the boys hiss. I would say they seem to be the quietest, mine are adults now and still allow the kids to pet them. They are good egg layers and if you want babies they go broody often and make great moms!

I think they are pretty, but I know their carnnucles turn some people off.

Get ducks, we have chickens and ducks, I like my chickens but I love my ducks!