Runner ducks SCREAMING!

[jason_loxton]

We've got runner ducks. Raised from eggs. They're now about 3 months old. 5 ducks, 4 drakes (drakes are going soon, but my partner can't bear to part with them yet.) They are still in a temporary enclosure on porch while we finish off their proper coop and run. It's about 8'x3'. It's definitely a bit crowded, which could be part of the problem, but it's hosed down daily, with a separate bedding area (shavings), little bath, etc.

At least three of the ducks have developed a worsening habit of screaming in the morning. And I mean a full open mouthed, SCREAM (MAH, MAH, MAH, MAH, MAH, MAH, MAH!!!). They start at about sunrise (around 6:20 am). That gets me up, and I change out their wading pool, change they bedding etc. They used to sort of calm down then, but now they continue periodically screaming for a couple of hours after. They are mostly quiet through the afternoon and don't make any noise at night, but the screaming in the first few hours of the days is getting so bad that if it doesn't not ease up, we'll have to get rid of them (we're in an urban setting in Canada, and the neighbors have not complained so far, but they have to be angry).

Anyone comment on this behaviour? Is it something they are likely to grow out of? Or something that likely related to the lack of space? Or is this just a breed/individual thing that we're stuck with? (My partner is convinced they're talking to the crows, who do sometimes crow at the same time, but the correlation is pretty tenuous.)

 

[chickens really]

Hens definitely love the sound of their own voice. Do you let them out of the Run to run around?
Many times it's a learned behaviour and they know how to get you outside.
Sometimes they out grow it but not always. I totally understand because my Call hens do the same thing every morning. If they hear the door open they yell.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have young female Runners 4 months and 11 weeks they love their voices. And use them often but with my older ones they did quiet down as they got older. But female ducks do quack loud so there will be noise at times. They do have a lot of energy so hopefully you can let them out during the day so they can run around an do duck things. Mine don't scream for hours though so maybe boredom has something to do with it. Runners have a high metabolism and need to move around it's built into them. So if you can get them out and let them be ducks. Then promise your neighbors eggs for their patience.

 

[ValerieJ]

Hens definitely love the sound of their own voice. Do you let them out of the Run to run around?
Many times it's a learned behaviour and they know how to get you outside.
Sometimes they out grow it but not always. I totally understand because my Call hens do the same thing every morning. If they hear the door open they yell.

That is so true! I don't have ducks, but I have a hen who figured out a distressed call would get me running out to see what's wrong, and then...treats of course. If I'm late checking on them in the morning or afternoon, I get this summons.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

All ducks seem to have such a phase wen they are very vocal and commenting loudly about every morsel they find in the yard. It usually lasts for 1-2 weeks and then they quiet down. My wife was asking me to sell the Magpie Ducks i raised this spring because she could not stand their shriek voices and permanent chatter anymore. Fast forward three months and those black beauties are the quietest ducks in the flock, just quietly squieking and rarely quacking at all.