Any issues having ducks and chickens live together?

Do not brood the chicks and ducklings together and then you can raise them together outside. You do not want drakes thinking chicken hens are just as good for breeding as duck hens because their anatomy will kill a chicken if they breed them. This is usually only a problem when they are raised together as babies and don't understand that chickens are not ducks. As long as a drake has hen ducks to breed he should not go after the hen chickens.
I hadn't considered that Duck Dover, thanks for the info. Since the ducks were sold straight run it will be awhile before I know their sex. First time duck mom mistake :) .
 
What age can the ducks go to the coop? I have read a lot of variations. Currently my coop is still "winterized" so it is protected from wind and I have a heat lamp set up on a thermocube so if the temp would happen to drop below 35 degrees Fahrenheit it will kick the lamp on. I don't for see the lamp turning on from here on out, however I am in the upper Midwest so anything is possible. Also, once moved to the coop what other accommodations do I need for the ducks that I may not have considered? Since the chickens sleep on the roosting bar that leave lots of floor space for the ducks but do they like open areas or do I need to build them a box or something to sleep in? I have nipple feeders for my chickens but could also put the warterer that I am using in the brooder now in the coop so they can dip their bills. Some have told me the nipple water system is adequate for the ducks during the night but need open water during the day to clean their nares. Once the weather is nicer on a more consistent basis the chickens will be out roaming daily barring any bad weather and I will get a plastic pool for the ducks to swim in. Seasoned duck parents what other advice or suggestions for you have for me?
 
Ducks do need enough water to cover their nostrils and bathe in but you will want it shallow enough that the chickens won't drown because they somehow manage to commit suicide if you have a deep pond. Falling in does not always kill them immediately but they will get water in their air sacs and it is very hard to treat. I thought our sand box pool was shallow enough but I have lost a young bird to drowning even though the water was not over its head. We have a horse trough pond with a ramp and deck for the ducks but for some reason my rooster decided to go for a swim and get water in his air sacs so we have to keep the chickens out of that fenced area.

I wait until outdoor temperatures are room temperature and the ducklings have all but their flight feathers (they get them last while chicks get them first) before they go outside but I do not have heat outside. They will sleep in a pile and stay warm that way but I like to be sure they will be warm during the night. Our ducks do not go in the coop with the chickens and in my experience ducks are smart enough to not go inside structures where they could be trapped. They prefer to sleep in the open where they have night watch (ducks seem to have decent night vision unlike chickens) or they will go under a cover if there are two openings. They really love it when we lean boards against a fence for them but we tend to disturb their shelters to collect eggs. Their favorite spot to sleep is on the deck surrounding their horse trough pond even though we designed it to give them shelter underneath the deck.
 
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So I'm getting 4 ducks in a month. If I added 1 chicken to it and raised them separate in there brood and then once the ducks and chicken is old enough I can keep them in the same 5x7 coop and 20x20 run?
 
Thanks Duck Drover I appreciate the info. There are a lot of predatory animals that roam the country side so I do fear for their night safety. I guess I will play it by ear when the time comes. Thanks again for replying!
 
Would I still have enough coop room? With a 5x7? What accommodations would I have to put in for ducks and chickens to live together happy?
 
Following this thread, as I'm brooding a mixed flock as well.

I was given two laying hens, a few months shy of the 2 year mark. I recently moved them outside, using an old shed as their coop. I think it's about 10'x12', and they roost in the rafters even though I provided lower roosting bars. I have four ducks (5 weeks old) brooding in a corner of our sun room. I also have six chicks (2 weeks old) brooding inside. I've been collecting pallets, fence panels, and other recycled lumber, to use on another 10'x12' area for a run that will be connected to the shed.

If breeds change anything, the ducks were supposedly Pekins, but I'm starting to think only two are Pekin and the other two might be Blue Swedish, as they're smaller and starting to get Brown "masks" and brown feathers in the wings and tails. The Pekins are easily double the size of the suspected Swedish, and they were all purchased (and supposedly hatched) on the same day. The chicks are 3 RI Reds and 3 Barred Rocks, and the Barred Rocks are a good deal bigger than the RI Reds. Not double, but maybe 50% larger.

My questions are these:

1.) Is the coop/run space sufficient for all 12 birds, or do I need to think bigger?
2.) At what age(s) should I integrate the ducks/chicks in with the laying hens?
3.) I have a kiddy pool for the ducks to swim in, but should I have it outside of the shared run to protect the chickens?
 
Thanks Duck Drover I appreciate the info. There are a lot of predatory animals that roam the country side so I do fear for their night safety. I guess I will play it by ear when the time comes. Thanks again for replying!


You will need to have a safe enclosure but that does not mean it needs to be a coop type shelter. A safe run is essential so keeping them in a predator proof area is definately a good idea but ducks are not like chickens that line up to get in the coop every night before sundown so you may need to round them up daily. They could get stressed out with the confinement or they could adjust just fine.
 
Hey I'm in the same boat with ducklings and chicks. My khaki campbell female is pretty anti any animal other than her mallard companion. The few times I've been grabbing food for the chicks and had their lid off long enough for one to hop/fly into her view she's flipped out scared or started hissing. Both the chicks and the ducklings are a few weeks of age. Will her terror over chicks pass or is it normal for her to be pretty anti new looking animals at first? When they're older and in the bigger coop will they just kind of coexist without the drama?
 

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