Anyone raised chicks and ducklings together?

[Viking84]

i am ordering 5 chicks and 5 ducklings from Ideal Poultry. They will arrive in the same shipping box and I will be raising them together in the same brooder until old enough to introduce to my 15 adult chickens. Has anyone raised chicks and ducklings together? Can ducklings eat chick starter feed? Any advice would be helpful.

 

[AviansLove]

Not a good idea to put them together in the same brooder, ducks love water and make a lot of messes and carry other things that can affect the chicks, depending on what bedding you use for the brooder. I keep my cayuga with my older hens and rooster because she had been raised with chickens from where I got her from and does not get along with the other ducks, I do suggest keeping them seperate.

 

[Viking84]

Not a good idea to put them together in the same brooder, ducks love water and make a lot of messes and carry other things that can affect the chicks, depending on what bedding you use for the brooder. I keep my cayuga with my older hens and rooster because she had been raised with chickens from where I got her from and does not get along with the other ducks, I do suggest keeping them seperate.

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, raising them in separate brooders isn't an option. I could cancel the order of chicks and just get ducklings if you think the chicks will die. The bedding will be pine shavings at first. And after a week it will be regular hay. The brooder has a 3x4 enclosed section and a 3x5 foot open run section.

 

[AviansLove]

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, raising them in separate brooders isn't an option. I could cancel the order of chicks and just get ducklings if you think the chicks will die. The bedding will be pine shavings at first. And after a week it will be regular hay. The brooder has a 3x4 enclosed section and a 3x5 foot open run section.

I use straw for my brooder, I am not saying you can't keep them together but it is a better option. Pine shavings is not the best option, pine shavings love collecting dust and makes the chicks sneeze especially since there will be ducklings in there with them. https://animals.mom.me/pine-wood-shavings-bad-chickens-9675.html. and for the water problem, I hang my waterers so the ducks don't spill it everywhere.

 

[PirateGirl]

Can you put a divider in your brooder? Even a piece of cardboard would do it.

If raising all at the same time I'd try and pick up a bag of Purina Flock Raiser crumbles to feed them all until they are older. It will be better for the ducklings and safe for the chicks to eat as well.

I'd also look at making a no-mess waterer of some sort or a water saver tray.

Provide at least two feed stations and two water stations in case there's a bully in the bunch.

You may need two heat sources at different heights/settings because the heat needs of ducklings will be significantly different to that of the chicks after a week.

 

[Viking84]

I use straw for my brooder, I am not saying you can't keep them together but it is a better option. Pine shavings is not the best option, pine shavings love collecting dust and makes the chicks sneeze especially since there will be ducklings in there with them. https://animals.mom.me/pine-wood-shavings-bad-chickens-9675.html. and for the water problem, I hang my waterers so the ducks don't spill it everywhere.

I can easily use straw hay as bedding from day one.

 

[chickens really]

Well I had a lone Duckling hatch. A call Duckling. I couldn't locate another Duckling so got a little chick to be its friend. As the Duckling grew faster than the chick he injured the chick so I had to put the chick down at 4 weeks old.
Plus the mess was crazy. Straw isn't a good option because it spoils quickly. Two Brooder pens is really the only option in my opinion.

 

[cmfarm]

Ducklings a supper messy and will soak a brooder in no time.

 

[Ezzfletcher]

I've got both but the mess from the ducklings the chicks don't like and the rate of growth is massively bigger for the ducklings so at the same age will be a lot more robust than the chicks I'd personally not raise both together for risk of injuries... And they can eat chicken crumb but ducklings aren't on crumb for long before they need water fowl food u shouldn't feed them on same food as chickens as adults unless you add brewers yeast to it as they need different levels of vitamins etc for bone development