9 Quietest Duck Breeds (With Pictures)

If you have a pond or lake on your property, it can be a lot of fun to have ducks because they’re peaceful and fun to watch. If you’d like to purchase some for your property but want to keep the noise down, you’ll need to choose one of the quieter breeds, as many can be quite noisy. We are about to look at several of the quietest duck breeds so you can enjoy these pets without hearing them all day. For each one, we’ll provide you with a short description and an image so you can see what it looks like to help you make an informed purchase.

The 9 Quietest Duck Breeds

1. Muscovy Duck

Muscovy ducks are the quietest of all duck breeds. It doesn’t make any noise unless it’s startled or attacked and occasionally when it’s happy. It has a warty red face that can take some time to get used to, and it usually has a glossy black body with white highlights. Unfortunately, you’re not likely to find this breed in the United States except in extreme South Texas. It’s one of the oldest domesticated birds globally and the largest in North America.

2. Cayuga Duck

The Cayuga is an attractive, colorful bird that makes hardly any noise. It raises the noise level when hungry or threatened but is generally quiet at other times. It’s easy to find in the United States and is quite friendly, often enjoying being around humans. They are friendly towards other ducks and produce quite a few eggs each year that you may be able to sell for profit.

3. Crested Duck

Crested ducks are white birds with black highlights. It’s a quiet breed that typically only makes noise when the female is looking for a mate. It’s a popular pet that’s been around for more than 2,000 years. The White-Crested duck became a part of the American Standard in 1874, and the black was added more than 100 years later in 1977. In Europe, it can be any color.

4. Swedish Blue Duck

The Swedish Blue duck breed comes from a part of Sweden that is now Poland and Germany. It’s a medium-sized bird with an oval head that tends to be quiet around the water. The feathers on the body will be different shades of blue except for white ones. It’s a heavy bird that makes a great addition to any property, but its numbers are falling in the United States, and they’re below 5,000. It usually weighs 7 to 9 pounds and can lay up to 150 eggs each year.

5. Magpie Duck

After World War I, two breeders named M.C. Gower-Williams and Oliver Drake created the Magpie duck. The ancestry is not known, but the breeders first documented it in 1920, and today it makes a great addition to any yard, making very little noise and being friendly towards people. It usually weighs about 6 pounds and can lay more than 200 eggs per year. It’s also extremely hardy and usually lives more than 9 years.

6. Khaki Campbell Duck

The Khaki Campbell is one of the most popular birds in the United States. It’s an excellent egg layer that makes very little noise and provides owners with tasty meat. It can be in several colors, including white, black, and brown, and it usually has orange feet. It’s hardy and can survive in many different environments. The Khaki Campbell does not fly and enjoys being around humans.

7. Saxony Duck

The Saxony is another quiet bird you may enjoy having on your property. It’s a heavy bird that usually weighs more than 7 pounds and is one of the more attractive of the large duck breeds. It has a slower growth rate than many other birds, but it lays more than 200 eggs per year and is generally friendly. It can also live in many different environments.

8. Runner Duck

Runner ducks look very unusual because they have a long neck resembling a bowling pin. They are extremely active and surprisingly fast and can cover a large area to eat mosquito larvae. They make very little noise, and it’s a pleasure to have them around the home because of the reduced mosquito population. They grow fast and lay more than 220 eggs per year.

9. Appleyard Duck

Appleyard ducks are the final quiet breed of ducks on our list. It’s a highly attractive breed that sports many different colors and patterns in its feathers. They’re great egg layers and have a calm, even temperament that helps them get along well with people and other animals. As long as they have plenty of food and water, they’re easy to maintain and make very little noise, so they are well suited to beginners and even children.

Summary

As you can see, there are several breeds of quiet ducks that will make a perfect addition to your pond or lake. While the origin of many of these birds is outside the United States, you can get most from a breeder. The American breeds like the Cayuga are also an excellent choice and might be less expensive than other options.

Featured Image Credit: MabelAmber, Pixabay