Ducks And Chickens Together

[I Love Layers]

I have read and heard many people say that you should never put ducks and chickens together. Mine have been together for over a year, and they didn't grow up with each other, and i have never had any problems. I was recently talking to someone at a rabbit show, who also owns poultry and they said that they also put their ducks and chickens together, so i was wondering if there is a real answer to this

 

[samantha LW]

What??!! My Drake may try to breed the hens? Wow he is HUGE that is going to be a big problem.

Right now the hens chase him around but I did see him and my big rooster having a bit of a fight the other day. I watched to make sure it did not get out of hand but it will soon be spring here and the first breeding season for my pair of Muscovy. I also have a "hen" that started crowing recently. OK two more coops and runs for me. It seems I will be fencing from now until spring. At this rate I am going to end up with pens all over my horse pasture. Good thing I only have one very old horse left!

 

[lazy gardener]

From the reading I've done, (have had ducks, and chickens, but never both species at the same time) a drake will mount a female chicken, and the experience may kill the chicken, because duck and chicken sexual anatomy are very different. While ducks have a penis, chickens do not, and were not designed to be bred in that fashion.

 

[samantha LW]

The kids and I did it! Just have to finish the boards along the bottom.

 

[GitaBooks]

Everyone has different experiences, but I think the main reason people say ducks and chickens shouldn't be together is simply because ducks tend to be far messier then chickens and will get the coop wet, which can make the chickens get sick. A lot of people keep ducks, chickens, turkeys, guineas, and geese together without any problem.

I'm hoping to raise some ducks with my chickens soon!

 

[21hens-incharge]

My understanding is that the drakes will try to mate with the hens (chickens) and can kill them doing so.
I have had ducks and chickens in the past but kept them separate just because I had so many ducks. The pekin drake was awful to the female ducks I can only imagine he would have been the same with chickens.

 

[I Love Layers]

My understanding is that the drakes will try to mate with the hens (chickens) and can kill them doing so.
I have had ducks and chickens in the past but kept them separate just because I had so many ducks. The pekin drake was awful to the female ducks I can only imagine he would have been the same with chickens.

I have never seen a drake do that, and the 5 people I've asked about this all said they never had a drake breed a chicken.

 

[aart]

Quote: Not common, but is possible and a good thing to be aware of.

Ducks also can make a real mess with water and if facilities are not well planned it can make problems for the chickens, especially chicks.

All a matter of management, it works for some folks and not for others....not much is absolute when dealing with live animals

 

[grammychick12]

I have a drake now trying to mate with my chickens. they are all nearly 5 months old. there are 2 female ducks and 6 chickens, then Eugene. I was able earlier just to distract him, but now he is getting more aggressive toward the chickens. today he is in duck jail...but is this gonna be the way I have to keep him from now on? any suggestions would be helpful...do vets 'nuture' ducks?

 

[lazy gardener]

If your drake is trying to breed your pullets, it's not likely that he'll stop. You could certainly check with a few vets in the area to see if they would caponize your drake. I don't know if that would stop the behavior. But, if you plan to go that route, I'd do it as soon as possible.