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?
Does anyone have Chickens and Ducks living together?
- Thread starter adelore
- Start date
I do. The coop is huge, 17X 20 feet - it was once a dilapidated, 3-walled "garage" or carport. I had it transmorgrified into a coop. It's large enough for my flock, which includes chickens, ducks and a pair of geese.
The ducks and geese do not roost, but sleep on the ground. So they need floor space in the coop. There also needs to be more than one type of waterer, because the waterfowl need to dunk their bills all the way into the water to clear their nares (nostrils). So I have another waterer up on a short stand next to one of the covered kitty litter box nest boxes. The chickens can all get to it, although they do drink from the waterfowl waterer now and then. The waterfowl waterer has a float in it which regulates an auto-fill valve, so there is ALWAYS water available. Even though sometimes it gets pretty mucky from the ducks and geese.
Mine all get along.
The ducks and geese do not roost, but sleep on the ground. So they need floor space in the coop. There also needs to be more than one type of waterer, because the waterfowl need to dunk their bills all the way into the water to clear their nares (nostrils). So I have another waterer up on a short stand next to one of the covered kitty litter box nest boxes. The chickens can all get to it, although they do drink from the waterfowl waterer now and then. The waterfowl waterer has a float in it which regulates an auto-fill valve, so there is ALWAYS water available. Even though sometimes it gets pretty mucky from the ducks and geese.
Mine all get along.
I do too.
I have 3 female ducks and 2 Barred Rocks in 1 flock.
They hatched together and will not accept any new chickens or birds into their flock.
Their section of the coop is 10x12 , plenty of room.
They love each other...
I have 3 female ducks and 2 Barred Rocks in 1 flock.
They hatched together and will not accept any new chickens or birds into their flock.
Their section of the coop is 10x12 , plenty of room.
They love each other...
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!
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!
i'm soon to get some ducks and have heard that they can happily coexist and will be adding mine to the flock
infact i seem chicken and peacocks together and even seen turkey and guinea fowl added to the mix too
they all seem to like each other as long as pecking order is there
infact i seem chicken and peacocks together and even seen turkey and guinea fowl added to the mix too
they all seem to like each other as long as pecking order is there
Just be careful if you have drakes. They can become very chicken aggressive during the breeding season.
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!
good luck with your hatching
i think thats so awsome that you look after your hens so well bringing her food like that so she dont have to move
I have 3 ducks and two geese living together with my chickens there pen is as big as my yard.
I have 8 geese, seven ducks and 9 chickens together right now -- they all coexist happily, although they don't socialize with each other much. Main issues are during breeding season as someone else said -- drakes can chase and injure hens, and even the ganders can try to mate with the hens. I don't have either of those situations as the chickens were not raised with the ducks and geese as babies. However, my ducks and geese were babies together, and I have issues with one gander trying to breed ducks, and one drake trying to breed the female geese. Now I would have them in separate brooders until they are adults and then introduce them to the different species . . .
And a kid, I grew up with ducks/chickens/geese and turkeys all living just fine in the same area . . . but it was a large area . . . . I think that is the key, is to have enough space so the seperate species can get away from each other if they want to.
And a kid, I grew up with ducks/chickens/geese and turkeys all living just fine in the same area . . . but it was a large area . . . . I think that is the key, is to have enough space so the seperate species can get away from each other if they want to.
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
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