what type of ducks should I get?

[Cayugaduck1214]

Hi I just registered to BYC. So, I'm new. Currently, I'm slightly considering about getting ducks. I would like to know what type of ducks should I get for my backyard if I'm looking for very quiet ones. I do have very grouchy neighbors so I wouldn't want to disturb them. I did hear that the male ducks are much more silent then the females. Iheard that one of the quitest ones are the cayuga and the kacki campbell duck. I don't know if there are any other really quiet breeds so, feedback would be really helpful. Thanks in adavance!

 

[chickens really]

Muscovy are quieter but not really Ducks. Another species.
Calls are fantastic Ducks. The Hens do Quack and can be a bit loud at times though. Most Ducks Quack..

 

[EggWalrus]

If you want them for eggs, get Khaki Campbells. They put out the most eggs. If you're looking for meat birds, Muscovy would be the way to go, Of all waterfowl, Muscovies are pretty quiet and don't taste all greasy like duck. They taste more like sirloin to me.
Good luck!

 

[StlCayugas]

We got drakes because we heard they were quietier. Two Cayugas and two Rouen and we didn’t want to mess with the eggs from the hens but after about a year the drakes started a pecking order resulting in the less submissive one getting picked on. Getting all hens was probably the way to go. I heard they get along better not having the hormones to deal with. We eventually had to rehome two out of four and replace them with females but once spring time hits again we still may have an issue as the male/female ratio is still off. I love my Cayuga the most. He won’t be going anywhere. His personality is awesome he loves treats he shakes every time I come out with treats and gives me kisses. I have two female crested right now they are both pretty quiet. Hope this helps.

 

[TyKyra Lancaster]

I'd suggest checking to see if you're even allowed to have ducks where you live, because you don't want to be at the mercy of your neighbors. Drakes (male ducks) are quieter than females they sound raspy, while females the quack. You can have drakes, females, or both, but once you combine them watch the female to male ratio. We have Bantam Black East Indies, Welsh Harlequin, Rouens, and Pekins and our Pekins are most vocal.

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

If you are looking for quiet, don’t get one of these (Daphne’s a Rouen). She’s the duck equivalent of a car alarm, bless her soul.

 

[CayugaJana]

If your main concern is the noise, I would go with the muscovy ducks. They make very little noise. They are good layers, great Moms, and great meat birds. Downsides to them is you have to be very diligent to collect eggs daily if you have males and females because you will quickly have ducklings coming out of your ears. You will also have to clip their wings since they can fly. Which doesn’t hurt them.

 

[Mandrogora]

From my experience at the moment Pekins are definitely on the louder side. My Cayuga is actually pretty loud as well. I'm sure it has to do with the individual duck too but if something is wrong i.e., the water dish has been empty for 3 seconds, she will let you know about it. My Indian runners have a deep honk like quack which they are using more and more. They are all females. Then there's my Black Swedish who is also supposed to be a she but I suspect is actually a he is the quietest of them all,making the sweetest little whistles.

 

[chickens really]

All Ducks are individuals and some more vocal than others in any breed. So if Quacks are an issue don't get Ducks. Same as breeds of dogs. Some from the same breed are yappy and others aren't...

 

[springvalley123]

I recently sold my duck flock, but had a few different breeds for a few years. Runners tended to quack loudly the most, and the most often, with the least "provocation". The white crested was a very close second. The black swedish was the quietest, until the last year, when she and the crested had nests. So, even the quietest can get loud. And there are others I've seen on this site, who'll attest that their black swedish and cayugas were quite loud. And all of my ducks got the most antsy, restless, and loud, if you tried to confine them to their night pen. 500 sq ft just wasn't enough, they had to free range the whole .7 acre. So if you need to keep them away from the neighbor's fenceline to create a buffer, the ducks might not appreciate that...