I currently have 5 drakes and 5 ducks. The females are quite noisy in the mornings. There is also, as you would expect, quite a bit of pushing and shoving among the males. I know that 1:1 is not a good ratio, so I need to find a home for some of them. (I really only wanted a few to begin with, but I had to order 10 straight run hatchlings.) My question is this: If I cut down to 1 drake and 2 ducks, would the ducks still be making as much noise all the time? The alternative would be to just keep 3 drakes. They won't fight if there are no females to fight over, correct? Any advice appreciated. Thanks!
Either way should help a lot. The girls do tend to be noisy when its time to eat, or they want something, but two of them won't be so bad. I keep a "bachelor" pen for extra drakes, they are out, but not with the main flock. They get along fine that way. The boys will probably settle down in a couple of years as far as fighting each other, but they will certainly be hard on the hens. I'd say go either way. Three boys will be quieter than girls and you are right, without girls, they will settle down faster. It's easier to find homes for the girls too, people want extra girls and they want eggs. You should be able to sell breeding trios pretty easily and find them good homes.
I have ten runner females. They are noisy, as Granny Carol said, when they want something. So, duck spoiler that I am, I have learned what it is they generally want, and provide it for them. It has not been a hardship for me. When I am not home, my neighbors who love ducks tell me that the ducks are very quiet. Even my neighbor that could care less has told me she doesn't hear them when I'm not around. That's a relief. The neighbors also tell me that before my car comes into sight, the ducks can hear me and start calling out. This doesn't always happen - lately they have greeted me less noisily. The ducks call out when: they want out of their night shelter, they want to go for a walk, they want human company, they want food. So I let them out in the morning within a few minutes of their wakeup, make sure they have a pan of food around, visit with them about once an hour when I'm home (five minutes usually does it), take them on walks at least once a day (this could be just 20 feet outside their day pen for fifteen minutes - I think they like that I walk with them). When I cannot figure out what they're lacking, I toss them some thawed peas, which instantly quiets them, and they spend several minutes looking for more (quietly), then they take a nap. Everyone has a their own relationship with their ducks. I just hope something in this response is helpful to you.
Definitely the ratio is NOT good. If you wish to keep them all, I would separate out the drakes that you wish not to breed and pen them up far away from the females. ( At least out of sight.) My ducks (Welshies -- all females) can hear me coming and the ruckus begins. BUT,if I am not around, they are very quiet
A dark night pen can solve the morning yacking problem. Like covering a parrot cage. Other than that, you could trade your runners in for a batch of muscovies. if my neighbors ever complain about noisy ducks and it becomes an issue, getting scovies is my back up plan.
