Ducks "left at door step" - need advice

[lknight]

The door step of the chicken coop.

My BF's roommate brought home 4 chickens and 2 ducks with the intention of eating them. So he RELEASED them in the yard so they could magically fatten up. The chickens are now in my chicken coop and the ducks sit along the fence right outside the coop looking sad and pathetic.

My options are to catch the ducks and stick them into the chicken coop to live safe and sound; I am really surprised they haven't been eaten by a coyote yet. I am not sure how they would live with the chickens. They never leave their site right now. I am not sure about giving them a little pool to play in either if they are in with the chickens.

OR do I catch them and take them up to the little pond near my house. It is a pond on private property. They would have shelter, and there should be plenty of food for them. My main fear is that they are domesticated animals, and they don't seem to know how to fend for themselves.

Could they be happy in the chicken coop or would it just drive everyone crazy? If it matters I am pretty sure they are Rouen hens.

Thanks

 

[Emzyyy]

The ducks SHOULD get along fine with your chickens. Mine do except for one of my roosters who can't do much anyway with his crossbeak and all. Try putting them in with your chickens to see how it works out as long as you know they're not sick and if it doesn't work out find them a new home where someone will take care of them.

 

[helkat]

I would give the chickens some new roomies!!

At night our chickens go into the coop (an old 10x12 shed) and roost on perches while the ducks (20+ of them) sleep on the floor with straw or outside in the penned area. They get along just fine!

 

[ChanceRider]

My 2 ducks lived quite happily with my chickens for many months, until I built them a separate coop and run. In the evenings the ducks would herd the chickens into the coop for me.

The only "issue" was trying to keep my coop dry. I finally wound up using a small bucket, clipped to the fence in their run, to water the chickens and ducks. It really cut down on the mess in the coop.

My run wasn't large enough for a pool for the ducks so I bought a large shallow plastic trough and placed it near the coop. I'd let the ducks out for supervised swims during the day. We have far too many predators for me to have a comfort level with leaving them out on their own.

Kudos to you for taking care of the roommates critters!