emmatinkerbell123 Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 Hi please can some one help me. Ive had my runners for five years, now the problem is a new family have moved in a few houses down from me and I think they have complained about the ducks making noise, ive had no complaints in the whole time ive had them. Ive had a letter from the council saying if they say it continues they will cone and investigate. My ducks are all healthy well fed have a pond locked in their shed at night, very well loved and looked after, I di not want to have to get rid of them. I do not think they make too much noise, where I live you can hear peoples barking dogs arguing shouting music etc more than my ducks. Any advice what to do and if I can do anything to make them be more quiet, I'm going to try letting them out a bit later around 9 or 9.30 am instead of 7.30pm, I lock them away between 8.30 to 9pm and they do not make any noise during the night. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 I am sorry that one of your neighbours may have complained, as you say there are far more noises from lots of other causes. You obviously care very much for your ducks and I'm not sure what else there is you can do that you are not already doing. A man at the top of the road used to have ducks and I used to love hearing them quacking. Hope you get things sorted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 Don't worry, when they sat they will come and investigate, that is what they have to do - it doesn't mean that any action will be taken! When we had a letter about my son playing drums I rang them and they were very helpful. In the end they didn't come out to me as I sounded reasonable and had explained when he playing (2 in the afternoon and only occasionally). They checked what we were doing to dampen the noise and were happy with that. Talk to them, tell them when your ducks are noisy. Download a noise measurement app and check how loud it is from the front of your property. Some people complain just because they can hear something, rarely is it actually loud enough or frequent enough to cause a nuisance. But do ring the council. Environmental Health officials really don't want to go out on visits unless they really have to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmatinkerbell123 Posted September 8, 2014 Author Share Posted September 8, 2014 Hi thank you both for your advice, I can't believe people complain about drums! Obviously the ducks do quack now and again but they are not doing it all day and night. This new family moved in down the road and they said my cats were going in their garden, I have litter trays, I think it might be them. They not lived here very long, one day I walked my dogs down the road and she was walking towards me and she said ' you need to pull your dogs in a bit' when they was no where near her. I let them out later this morning, about 9.30. You can hear dogs barking and people shouting etc more than the ducks. These people had some sort of party and row on Friday night, kept the whole street awake and had their fence pulled down. Not sure if it is then that's complained but ive had them give years and no one ever complained before! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmatinkerbell123 Posted September 8, 2014 Author Share Posted September 8, 2014 Makes me laugh really because I've just been in my garden, all the ducks are asleep, except the duckling and one of the adults who is in the shed, they all quiet and snoozing, while all I can hear is dogs barking and kids screaming. Even my dogs are all just sat there, when they bark cos they can hear other dogs barking they get told to be quiet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 I'd still ring the council - it's all about noise levels, timing and context etc. At least if you've rung them and told them your side of things, they can head off any future complaints, and they are more likely to support you if you have shown willing to discuss things. Sounds like this new resident is just looking for anything to complain about though! PS The drums were a bit loud though - unbeknownst to me, it was on one hot summer day and he had all bedroom windows open! Think the whole village could hear them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmatinkerbell123 Posted September 8, 2014 Author Share Posted September 8, 2014 I phoned them this morning they said they will phone me back but have not done yet. I think the about 15 dogs round here is alot louder than the ducks, they bark at night too. I'm letting the ducks out later about 9.30 and they always go to bed around 8.30pm. When they phone me I will explain I'm letting them out later etc see what they say, they are welcome to come and stand in my garden and see that the street noise is more loud than the ducks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmatinkerbell123 Posted September 9, 2014 Author Share Posted September 9, 2014 Hi just letting you know ive spoken to the council they said if they send the noise sheet back that they are causing a nuisance they will put a device in their home to measure the sound. He said people just like to moan and basically that they get loads of calls about noisy animals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 That's great. The noise sheet asks the neighbours to record when and for how long they hear the noise. I doubt very much that a noise meter would pick up the sound of your ducks from inside their house, so you are unlikely to hear any more about it! Hope you are less worried now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmatinkerbell123 Posted September 9, 2014 Author Share Posted September 9, 2014 Hi, so do they actually put the noise meter inside the house not in their garden? Yes I'm not as worried now, I told the guy I'm going to start complaining about all the dogs on the street barking and he said please don't, it's more work for me. They quack more when they see the mealworm tub! What other treats can I give them ? I give them my tortoises kale and they like that. We have a duckling too, bet they will complain next that we are breeding ducks for money or something which we are not! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmatinkerbell123 Posted September 9, 2014 Author Share Posted September 9, 2014 How do I add a signature to the bottom of my posts? I'm new to this site so not sure how to do it,I can't find anything that says profile our anything like that. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Mine love spinach leaves, sweetcorn, or even just grass cuttings thrown into their water. Anything in water causes a total frenzy of splashing and dabbling - if it's on the ground they tend to ignore it To edit your signature, click on User Control Panel (at the top of the page, under Board Index), you will see some tabs - click on Profile, then Edit Signature. To get the pictures you will need to enter code, so for a white duck, it is (*white duck) without the star, which gives you , or (*duck) without the star gives: . To see what the code is for each picture - click on the icons at the side of the messages here, then you will see what code to put. Hope that makes sense! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmatinkerbell123 Posted September 10, 2014 Author Share Posted September 10, 2014 Hi thank you, I'm trying to add a picture to my profile and for some reason it wont work. Ive give them corn and peas before they love them, they like mealworms the best. My runners are called, Alvin, Theo, coco, Jemima, pinky, Bella and the duckling is called bourbon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 Think you might need a minimum number of posts before you get full functionality. Mine were let out to free range for the first time yesterday - now they are marching round the garden exploring! They are so cute (although my husband is not happy because I let them on the pond and now it stinks!) they love it so much though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmatinkerbell123 Posted September 10, 2014 Author Share Posted September 10, 2014 I click on the picture I want and it comes up in writing the name of the picture but no picture actually comes up. Ha ha, we have a pond, they love it. How old are they? We got two ducklings then they hatched 4 ducklings nite they are all grown up and one of them hatched 1 baby nearly a month ago now, she was sat on two eggs but only one hatched. We still have to keep the duckling in the shed with its mum when I'm not there cos its not got all its feathers yet so still fluffy and my cats are after it, they don't bother with the adult ducks. Do you ever get them dried mealworms they sell them in pound shops like b and m and quality save. ducks are good for bugs in your garden I never see any worms slugs or anything, the ducks eat them all. Have have two chickens at the school where I work, they are really cute, I'm the assigned chicken keeper LOL, I'm only the cleaner, they pay me for looking after them, I spend most of that on treats for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 Snowy is right, you need a minimum number of posts before you can add a signature. I can't remember how many but you are probably nearly there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmatinkerbell123 Posted September 10, 2014 Author Share Posted September 10, 2014 Ok thanks, ive never been on a chicken duck etc forum before. Only tortoise forum. Anyone on here had a drake with ducklings? I can't remember how old our others were when we left then together, he goes to bite the duckling sometimes but not every time he sees her Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miller30 Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Hi as others have said I wouldn't worry to much your neighbours sound horrible and just moaners basically you get some people that think they can make as much noise as they like but everyone else has to be quiet. Someone reported me about 4-5 years ago about my tiny little pekin boy crowing he had only been crowing for 6 weeks whoever it was never sent the noise diarys back so case was closed I did go knocking on 6 doors to ask who was he annoying it wasnt them or no one knew I had a boy funny that so now I have Turkeys,Goats,Geese,chickens,Ducks and 9 Cockbirds they all get locked in at night let out at 9.15 and touchwood no ones said anything leanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmatinkerbell123 Posted September 11, 2014 Author Share Posted September 11, 2014 Some neighbours are horrible ain't they, I'd love to live in the middle of nowhere! Wow you have geese??? Are they nasty? What type of ducks do you have? We have one male 5 females and one duckling that I don't know the sex of yet. Emma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miller30 Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Yes they are Giant Dewlap Toulouse I hatched them this year I think they are a pair but my son named them Alan and Steve and the gander which is steve does not like strangers but hes generally all mouth but he did bite a lady on the bum that came here lol I have Runners,khaki Campbell,cherry valleys how old is your duckling? you can sex them between 6-8 weeks by voice and just make sure your Drake doesn't tread the duckling until at least 16 weeks my runner boy is a sex maniac most of my Ducks are 9 now getting on and hes still a pervert leanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmatinkerbell123 Posted September 11, 2014 Author Share Posted September 11, 2014 Ha bet that was funny biting a lady on the bum! The duckling is just over a month old. We first got make and female Alvin and Theo, Theo hatched her own eggs, coco Bella pinky and Jemima, then we let coco sit on 2 eggs but only one hatched and that is little bourbon. So we have the whole family tree! I'd put some pictures on but don't know how to!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 And I'd heard that runners didn't go broody! My Willow was also from a brood hatched by the female runner. Ooh maybe I'll get ducklings after all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmatinkerbell123 Posted September 11, 2014 Author Share Posted September 11, 2014 Don't go broody??? Ive heard that before, ours are ALWAYS trying to sit on their eggs! That's why we let co co sit on two, little bourbon getting feathers the same colour as his or her mum. We let them all wander round together, the male Alvin tried to bite her sometimes but not everytime. We put Alvin and Bella in a dog kennel at night and the others all go in their own shed, when bourbon is bigger Alvin can come back in the shed! I have four dogs too, lots of cats and horsfield tortoise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
