I've talked to a few people about having our ducks and chickens living together. My mom said they had them living together when she was a girl. Does anyone here do that?
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I have an exiting flock of 8 bantam pekin hens, and two weeks ago I adopted two lovely black east indian ducks. They had lived with chickens before so I knew they'd be ok... the chickens didnt keep their eyes off of them when the ducks arrived, but now are pretty good. there has been no fighting what so ever, and for the first week or so i decided to house the ducks in seperate accomodation, although this isnt an ideal house for them due to a large step going up to it, and poor little ducky legs cant quite manage it. so soon I intend to pop them in the hen house at night (they are free range during the day). I didn't want to do it straight away as I wanted the ducks to settle in their new surroundings and for the chickens to adjust to the new members of the family.
My chicken house only has low perches (few inches high if that), but I have taken the redundant ones out that I know they dont use and left the rest of the floor clear for the ducks. This should work I think... but as with poultry it's all trial and error!
p.s my broody hen is now sitting on 3 of my new duck eggs, this is my (and the hens) first attempt at natural hatching, so I'm very excited... as is my hen who is happily sitting on the nest all day while I bring her regular sips of water and corn!
Well she's worth it, bless her, having to sit an extra week waiting for a duckling. Well we're only a week in, but she's sitting tight. She's a silkie cross and apparently their good surrogate mothers.i think thats so awsome that you look after your hens so well bringing her food like that so she dont have to move