[Bone]

Hello all I am new to the forum I came across it by researching chickens and Ducks.

I am looking for a duck that isn't to noisy(don't want to upset the neighbours) is going to be fairly hardy come winter and will a reasonable amount of eggs. I am going to be supplying a duck house 3ftx 3ftx3ft. I will be sinking in a old bath and putting a drainage system in under it so I can change the water regular. I am hoping to give them a run 4-5ft wide by approx 8-10ft long.
So my questions
What ducks do you suggest?
Do they need to be kept in pairs male & female or would be female & female be ok?

I am also looking for chicken suggestions I only want 2 or 3 these will be provided with the same as the ducks minus the bath .
I was hoping to just keep 2 or 3 hens but have been told they will probably pluck each other without a cock to keep them in check is this correct?

Thanks

[Kuikentje]

Hi there Bone, I'm new too!

No idea about ducks - but I haven't heard about them pecking each other if they haven't got a Godfather to keep an eye on them.  Most people who have neighbours can't have a cock, and you don't normally hear of problems.

[darkbrowneggs]

If you are keeping them for eggs then Khaki Campbell or Runners are generally the best producers, though not having really kept them I can't comment on the quackiness.  Keep away from anything with Call Duck in it as they were breed specifically for their quacking abilities and do so incessently

Two ducks together would be fine, but with a lot of breeds a duck and a drake would be no good, you would need about 5 or 6 ducks to keep one drake happy.  You may find with two spinster ducks they would quack a fair bit in the spring trying to attract a mate.

I keep Crested Ducks and find them quiet except when hungry for their tea, and one of the big advantages is that they are happy to be kept in a pair or trio without the drake constantly harrassing the girls for "you know what"

They are reasonable egg layers, pretty well one a day from Feb till they moult, but they will go broody unless the eggs are collected daily - but there again what could be nicer than a duck with a brood of ducklings and they are particularly good and attentive mothers.

[ANHBUC]

The quietest duck is the Muscovy which is quite a large breed.  As said you don't need a drake and it could cause problems if you only have two.  They lay around 190 eggs per year but I believe they do go broody.  They are a dual purpose bird so if you do hatch some they are an ideal breed.  If considering them for meat birds you are better going for white or lilac colouring for plucking as they don't have the dark quill stubs of the other colours.

You are fine keeping hens together without a cockerel.  It is more likely to be other problems that cause the feather pecking like boredom or not enough space.

Good luck with your choices Bone and let us know how you get on.  We love to see photos of peoples projects and of course their birds.   

[Prod]

I keep Call ducks and I did research them before I bought them, i.e. the noise, but as I live in a very rural remote area surrounded by cows/sheep/pheasants(who are REALLY noisy)  I still went ahead. I have to say mine, I have 5 with one sat on 11 eggs, make less noise than my chickens. They are cleaner than chickens, need less fuss for accommodation and extremely tame and very enjoyable to watch. The eggs are small but mine do lay each day & I sell the extra eggs & people are always asking for more. I suppose everyone's experiences are different.

[Kate and her Ducks]

I can't comment on chickens but you should be able to keep 2-3 ducks very happily with that set up.

Calls as already said can be quite noisy. The other issue for you is that they don't lay many eggs so if thats a reason for having them best not. The best breeds for laying are Campbells and runners. I have to say my Campbells were always very noisy too!
There are some other lovely breeds of duel purpose ducks like Buff Orpingtons and Saxony's. I have to say I really love my Saxony's. They are a bigger breed but are very gentle and friendly. They lay reasonably well and are just very beautiful. Good table birds too if that is something you are interested in that.

[Bone]

Thanks for the replies upto now.

There are so many options out there it is a little confusing what to go for.

Hopefully suggestions that get posted I will think yes there the ones for me.

[Bone]

I think we are pretty set on a hybrid chicken.A place local to us sell all different types.                     The ducks on the other hand are causing a headache muscovy seem to be the perfect choice but they are really ugly. I like the campbells and aylesburys but they seem to be some of the noisy ducks.Any other thoughts on what i should be looking at or have i been mis informed about the above and they not noisy. When i say we dont want a noisy duck we dont want one thats going to be quacking all day for fun feed times etc not a problem.

[Kate and her Ducks]

http://holderreadfarm.com/photogallery/saxony_page/saxony_page.htm

Well these still get my vote. Beautiful friendly and relatively quite ducks compared to the rest. They are the breed I'm concentrating on breeding at the moment as my favourite having tried Campbells, runners, Welsh harlequins, silver Appleyards, Cayugas and Buff Orpingtons.

[Bone]

I think we have got the duck situation down to a short list

Buff Orpingtons
Appleyards minatures
Appleyards
Those Saxony's are very nice as are the Welsh harlequins

Can anyone recommend breeders of the above around the Derbyshire area?

[ANHBUC]

It is the Muscovy male that is the uglier rather than the female.  I think you need to go and see some and get to know their temperament rather than judging on just looks alone.     They are the duck I would love but that will have to be another year as I have too many fertile eggs ready to hatch this year (chickens and quails).   

[Kate and her Ducks]

I agree that the male muscovies are much more ugly that the females. I keep toying with the idea of muscovies, mainly for the fact that they have a wonderful reputation for broodiness so I think about them as natural incubators.

I also agree that you should try to see some of the ducks. You can pick a breed on it's qualities on paper but you will only really take to a breed when you fall in love with it (not always possible on just a visit either!). I picked buff orpingtons as I really wanted some of these and saxonys were a bit of an impulse and hatched some eggs. The buffs are nice enough but really liked the saxonys. Have spent this year trying to hatch unrelated stock!

[ANHBUC]

I agree that the male muscovies are much more ugly that the females. I keep toying with the idea of muscovies, mainly for the fact that they have a wonderful reputation for broodiness so I think about them as natural incubators.

I also agree that you should try to see some of the ducks. You can pick a breed on it's qualities on paper but you will only really take to a breed when you fall in love with it (not always possible on just a visit either!). I picked buff orpingtons as I really wanted some of these and saxonys were a bit of an impulse and hatched some eggs. The buffs are nice enough but really liked the saxonys. Have spent this year trying to hatch unrelated stock!

If you do get muscovies and let them brood they will be really happy ducks Kate.  Then I can look at all your photos and dream of getting my own.   

[darkbrowneggs]

I kept Muscovies for a few years, but you had to keep up with wing clipping.  The got all round the village where I lived at the time, and the final straw was when they took to flying onto my bedroom roof first thing on a summer morning and having a stamp around.  I know they don't quack but that isn't the only way of making noise 

[ANHBUC]

I kept Muscovies for a few years, but you had to keep up with wing clipping.  The got all round the village where I lived at the time, and the final straw was when they took to flying onto my bedroom roof first thing on a summer morning and having a stamp around.  I know they don't quack but that isn't the only way of making noise 

 

My turkeys were like that, I had to wing clip once a week as their feathers grew so quickly.