My ducks are too NOISY!!

[duckluck]

Quote:
x2. People in this country expect to have a steady meat supply (I know you aren't using your ducks for that, but I'm using this as an example) and yet they don't want animals to be animals. Too many people don't believe in slaughterhouses, yet they don't want the smell of horses where they live, and if people are going to give the horses homes, they have to go somewhere. I wouldn't be bending if I were you...what next, your dogs? Your kids? My husband years ago had a problem with one set of neighbors because he dared to move into his new house with his kids.

Your ducks, your reasons for having them, your property. The one thing I would recommend is to get the neighbors to know the ducks...have them come over and see the ducks, maybe pet and/or feed them, and learn about the hatching process. If the neighbors have children, this is especially effective. People have a harder time objecting to something they understand.

 

[KatGold]

Well gosh, y'all are just swell.

I haven't been online since posting this and I forgot to subscribe to my own post. Imagine my surprise to see all those thoughtful responses.

So:

Yes, I am allowed to have ducks and we don't have a HOA.

No, I don't live in the country. I live in a most excellent mid-town neighborhood in Austin where my neighbors are very cool with my shenanigans, but I don't want to over do it.

Yes (not that anyone asked) I have at least two people who work from home (three if you include me) whose property abuts mine who cannot make a business call when the ducks are quacking. It's very disruptive. We've had roosters that we've had to rehome, and the neighbors say the ducks are worse.

Yes, if there is someone around Austin who wants them and will give us visitation rights-- I WANT TO FIND YOU!!!

Yes, they are in need. They don't like the pen and quack about that, they quack when they see us, they quack when we laugh (they laugh with us...very charming, but it's just too darned much quacking!!!), they quack when they're bored, they quack when they're hungry, they quack when any dog barks, they quack at the mailman, they quack a sirens. Some needs I can tend to, others I just cannot.

More on need, my next door neighbor (who is a wonderful person and good friend) believes what they need most is orange sauce.

I do love the duckies and really wanted duck eggs and slug eating sure shots, but I cannot be this disruptive. If my daughters weren't so in love with them, they'd be long gone. I am thinking of building a bigger pen and putting in an 80 gallon stock tank. If that works, that would be super. But it's a big effort for a not so sure thing. But I guess I should try.

Plan B (or C,or whatever we're on) is to rehome. So if you're in or near Austin and might be interested, please send me a smoke signal.

 

[desertdarlene]

If you want ducks and don't want the noise, try getting Muscovies. They're good egg layers and come in all kinds of colors. I know some people don't like the way their faces look, though, plus they're big. Or, try to get all males. As long as there's no females, they tend to get along OK most of the time and they don't really quack loud.

I think it's strange that they quack so loudly at everything. I know females do the laughing quack during breeding season and they do rejection quacks at males, but they shouldn't be quacking so loudly at everything. The males quack a lot at little noises, but they shouldn't be loud unless you have a lot of them.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

I personally am not a fan of loud birds, thats why I keep Muscovies. Even my Pilgrims are very quite. Pekins, Rouens etc etc drive me crazy.

 

[gryeyes]

I have a pair of call ducks and Priscilla is VERY loud. I also have four Cayuga drakes and four Cayuga ducks (hens). When the Cayuga girls get going, they are loud, but they don't go off all quacky very often. Mostly they just gabble at everybody.

I do have two kiddie pools and a 300 gallon stock tank for 'em all. Oh, I also have a pair of Toulouse geese - these are all in addition to the mixed flock of chickens I keep.

The next door neighbor has a mallard hen. The most noise - loudest - comes from their duck and my Priscilla. Man, those little girls are loud!

 

[kippy2]

just make the pen bigger or get a male that should quiet them down. good luck to you with them

 

[KatGold]

Whoooaaa, back up Kippy. Might a drake quiet them down?

Please, please tell me more about this. If that's the way it usually works, that might be the best possible solution.

There might be a problem of finding one, though. I'm not sure if there are any folks nearby who keep them. They're kind of rare. I could maybe find a Call, but I'd rather keep them pure if I decide to breed.

Keep talking, Kippy. I am listening!!!!

 

[Kevin565]

Ducks are naturally noisy. I don't think anything is really going to quiet them down much. However, I do hope you find a solution that works for you

 

[mandelyn]

If boys keep them quiet, my girls didn't get the memo. Mine only do a brief morning chatter to be let out, I don't free range them all day or anything, but I was letting them out first thing and putting them back up after chores at the coop. Till the hawk started showing up at 9am and killed one. Now they only get out while I'm out there doing chores.

They only get about 40 minutes of free time, and they shut up the rest of the day. We have all manner of noise around, but they only respond to the neighbor kid that yells to them and eggs them on, or my voice.

I have 2 boys and 3 girls. Only one girl is obnoxious. I got Saxony when I heard they were quiet, but it's the Black Swedish hen that is super quiet.

 

[Ducks and Banny hens]

There is one way to prevent them from quacking... but unfortunately it also prevents them from living...