We have 3 grown pekin ducks (female 1 year old) who reside happily in their "quack shack".
This year we decided to add some chickens to the group and 6 weeks ago we purchased 6 Rhode Island Red pullets.
We live in FL and I am getting ready to put the chicks in the pen and coop along with the ducks. Toward that end, I have put the chicks in the coop every day for the last two weeks, closed in all day while the ducks roam outside in the pen, in the hopes of a) getting the chicks used to the safety of the coop and b) getting the ducks used to the chicks.At night, I put the ducks in the coop and the chicks in a cage in our house.
These last couple of days I have let the chicks out (supervised) in the pen with the ducks.
When I do this, one of the ducks always runs over, head low, in a clearly aggressive posture toward the chicks, occasionally snapping her bill at them. Fortunately, in the unrestricted area of the pen, the chicks are fast enough and fly high enough to get away before any harm is done.
I am nearly ready to put the chicks in the coop overnight with the ducks (they are getting too big for the cage they are in) however I am afraid that I will find injured or dead chickens in the AM.
My questions:
1. Can adult ducks injure 6 week old chicks? (I have read of adult chickens being dangerous to baby ducks but nothing on the other way around.)
2. At what age can I safely and confidently lock the chicks in the coop with the ducks overnight.
Any advice would be appreciated.
This year we decided to add some chickens to the group and 6 weeks ago we purchased 6 Rhode Island Red pullets.
We live in FL and I am getting ready to put the chicks in the pen and coop along with the ducks. Toward that end, I have put the chicks in the coop every day for the last two weeks, closed in all day while the ducks roam outside in the pen, in the hopes of a) getting the chicks used to the safety of the coop and b) getting the ducks used to the chicks.At night, I put the ducks in the coop and the chicks in a cage in our house.
These last couple of days I have let the chicks out (supervised) in the pen with the ducks.
When I do this, one of the ducks always runs over, head low, in a clearly aggressive posture toward the chicks, occasionally snapping her bill at them. Fortunately, in the unrestricted area of the pen, the chicks are fast enough and fly high enough to get away before any harm is done.
I am nearly ready to put the chicks in the coop overnight with the ducks (they are getting too big for the cage they are in) however I am afraid that I will find injured or dead chickens in the AM.
My questions:
1. Can adult ducks injure 6 week old chicks? (I have read of adult chickens being dangerous to baby ducks but nothing on the other way around.)
2. At what age can I safely and confidently lock the chicks in the coop with the ducks overnight.
Any advice would be appreciated.
