[Helenaj]

Hi Folks

I have managed to obtain some land where I can finally keep some ducks ( ) because it has a natuaral spring that hasn't run dry even in this weather, so I'll be pond digging when the weather breaks a little!

Can anyone recommend a quiet breed of duck - I was thing of having some Khaki Campbells as a starter, but can anyone suggest another breed that will get on with them and are not too noisy?

Yaaayy - I'm having ducks!!!!!

Helena
x

[Springlands]

Helena - I really do not think that there are such things as quiet ducks.    Mine are hybrid Aylesbury's according to the person that I got them from and boy can they be noisy. Hopefully someone can suggest a breed that would be quieter.

The other issue would be with the pond - ducks are very messy and unless your pond was very big the ducks would have it very muddy in no time at all. We use a paddling pool which we are able to empty on a regular basis and refill with clean water.

I hope all goes well with the duck adventures - they are so cute when they are waddling about. 

[ANHBUC]

The searching I did for the quietest duck came up with the Muscovy duck.  I would love some but don't have the room at the moment and the mess issue is something that concerns me.  Our soil base is clay so in bad weather it would be a quagmire. 

[Springlands]

They are a bit messy but because we have a really large run we can keep it under control - they are lovely but OH has said that when they go we will not replace them.

[darkbrowneggs]

I have found Crested Ducks as quiet as any.  They only seem to quack at meal times if they are hungry or if something is chasing them.  They are not too big to make a mess of the garden too much but still eat slugs for you.  They don't need swimming water, though they do like it. 

Having kept many breeds of ducks over the years I would not choose any other than these.   

[Helenaj]

I looked at Muscovies, but read that they can be quite agressive to other breeds of ducks, so am having a think about those at the moment. I didn't give crested ducks a thought - I shall have to read up on them.

As for room - I have an acre and a half to play with and my husband is a builder and landscaper, so no problem with building a large pond.

I'm so excited!

[Debbieta]

Hi there,
Just wondering if you could keep us up to date with building of pond (lake!) and choice of duck.
We have 1 1/4 acre and I would love to get 3 or 4 ducks but am a little hesitant on pond digging and excavation.
Any tips as you go would be brilliant.  We have heavy clay which has cracked quite a lot at the moment, so we're (hubby's) not about to consider starting yet a while.  Plus I have 4 4week old and 11 2 week old chicks to keep me occupied .
Good luck
Debbie

[Debbieta]

Hi again,
BobE can I please ask, what size eggs to call ducks lay?
Many thanks
Debbie

[Sparkyrog]

The searching I did for the quietest duck came up with the Muscovy duck.  I would love some but don't have the room at the moment and the mess issue is something that concerns me.  Our soil base is clay so in bad weather it would be a quagmire.

You need to remember the muscovy is not a true duck

[ANHBUC]

The searching I did for the quietest duck came up with the Muscovy duck.  I would love some but don't have the room at the moment and the mess issue is something that concerns me.  Our soil base is clay so in bad weather it would be a quagmire.

You need to remember the muscovy is not a true duck

That is not something I am aware of, what do you mean?

[Sparkyrog]

The searching I did for the quietest duck came up with the Muscovy duck.  I would love some but don't have the room at the moment and the mess issue is something that concerns me.  Our soil base is clay so in bad weather it would be a quagmire.

You need to remember the muscovy is not a true duck

That is not something I am aware of, what do you mean?

They are half goose 

[ANHBUC]

The searching I did for the quietest duck came up with the Muscovy duck.  I would love some but don't have the room at the moment and the mess issue is something that concerns me.  Our soil base is clay so in bad weather it would be a quagmire.

You need to remember the muscovy is not a true duck

That is not something I am aware of, what do you mean?

They are half goose 

I have had a quick look online and apparently they are not goose either!   

"Since Muscovy are genetically disimilar to other domestic waterfowl, many folks believe that they're more of a goose than a duck. For instance, they eat grass, as do geese, have a similarly long egg incubation period of 35 days (compared with 28 days for ducks), and they don't quack. This is a good trait since they are "quiet" ducks. The male has a low breathy call, and the female a quiet trilling coo.  They are neither truely duck or goose, in fact, they belong to a group of waterfowl that like to perch high in trees (Cairininae) similar to the knob-billed duck and the African Pygmy Goose ."

Quote from HERE

[Springlands]

The searching I did for the quietest duck came up with the Muscovy duck.  I would love some but don't have the room at the moment and the mess issue is something that concerns me.  Our soil base is clay so in bad weather it would be a quagmire.

You need to remember the muscovy is not a true duck

That is not something I am aware of, what do you mean?

They are half goose 

As far as I am aware that is not correct - they were originally from South America not like our other domesticated ducks which are all related to mallards.

[Sparkyrog]

While a gander will not trouble muscovy ducks the muscovy drake will pester geese at that time of year . Having said that they are both excellent layers and mothers ,not to mention table birds which they excel at 

[ANHBUC]

Debbie,
Call Ducks don't actually need a pond.  They do enjoy it when they get in one.  Some people use a paddling pool.  If you dug a small pond 5 foot dia it would be ample.  They only go in it to fool about and also if they get scared.  A wide, deep pond will stop a fox.  Sitting here thinking about a pond for protection I suppose you'd need 3 feet deep and 8 foot diameter.  But thats just to let them escape a fox. 
I put a small 2 foot dia island in the center of our pond and they would sleep there overnight, no hutch required.  She would lay her eggs there though, so I had a plank to get accross.  My pond was 10foot dia with a 2foot island. pond shelved to 3 foot deep, fox'es won't swim.
I only had 3 ducks.

Wouldn't a fox be able to just jump across to the island?  From what I have seen online a fox can swim SWIMMING FOX.