Can ducks live with chickens?

[JacinLarkwell]

You were planning on just keeping duck hens, right? Because 1 hen is not enough for a drake and hencould harm your other birds trying to breed with them

 

[Chicks in VA]

You were planning on just keeping duck hens, right? Because 1 hen is not enough for a drake and hencould harm your other birds trying to breed with them

Yeah I want 2 duck hens , no males.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Yeah I want 2 duck hens , no males.

Then if you keep the house and some run dry, it should be fine.

 

[Chicks in VA]

Then if you keep the house and some run dry, it should be fine.

They have a 15-20 acre to roam I bet they can find somewhere dry lol

 

[Callender Girl]

Every situation is different, but I've never had runner drakes try to mate with any of my chickens, although other folks have.

IF I were going to house my chickens and ducks together at night -- and I never have -- I wouldn't put water inside the coop. Very long story, but one of my chickens got severe frostbite on her feet last year and ended up losing about half of her toes. Treatment was long, expensive and painful.

 

[Chicks in VA]

Every situation is different, but I've never had runner drakes try to mate with any of my chickens, although other folks have.

IF I were going to house my chickens and ducks together at night -- and I never have -- I wouldn't put water inside the coop. Very long story, but one of my chickens got severe frostbite on her feet last year and ended up losing about half of her toes. Treatment was long, expensive and painful.

Oh , I'm sorry to hear that but at least she didn't lose her whole foot!

So my plan : put ducks in the chicken coop , no water in the coop only outside it , have a small water trough for them to swim in ( will blocks so chickens can get out if they fall in).


Can ducks free feed , I have a 25lb feeder and hope they can eat out of that?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Oh , I'm sorry to hear that but at least she didn't lose her whole foot!

So my plan : put ducks in the chicken coop , no water in the coop only outside it , have a small water trough for them to swim in ( will blocks so chickens can get out if they fall in).


Can ducks free feed , I have a 25lb feeder and hope they can eat out of that?

What type of feeder? Mine all use rubber bowls. The only ones I wouldn't free feed are Jumbo pekins because they're meaties. Everything else should be just fine to free feed. Just know that ducks eat more than chickens

 

[Chicks in VA]

What type of feeder? Mine all use rubber bowls. The only ones I wouldn't free feed are Jumbo pekins because they're meaties. Everything else should be just fine to free feed. Just know that ducks eat more than chickens

Im hoping blues Swedish ( ordering them today)

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Im hoping blues Swedish ( ordering them today)

Oh you'll like them. I have a quintet of those right now. Skittish, but nothing like chickens if you don't chase after them

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

Yes and no, depending on their breed and gender. I have seen that duck hens are rather aggressive with chickens and can easily injure them, or at least pull out a lot of feathers, from only one fight. Of course, your ducks might not be like that—they might co-exist just fine with little fighting. However, if you have drakes, then that is a definite no because if a drake successfully breeds a chicken hen then he will either internally injure or kill her.