Can a duck live with chickens in a chicken coop?

[merlg]

Ducks need extra niacin (Vitamin B3) for their legs/feet when they are growing, but once they are adults they seem to do fine on layer feed. Probably start the ducklings on a game bird feed or niacin supplement.

 

[Suga85]

We went out and bought 2 ducks (a couple days older) for company all 3 have outgrown the brooder and are in a large dog cage. Thinking of putting the cage in with the chooks throughout the day to get them used to each other?? I'm worried my friends prized girls were killed over night by his other chicks so anything I can do to prevent fighting I'll try!!

On another note our grown duck eats layers pellets no problems. The ducklings are on crumb until they're grown.

 

[CrazyTalk]

As an aside and just in case you're thinking about them--geese are worse!

I've got 9 runner ducks, 4 sebastapol geese, and 16 chickens at the moment (they're going to be reduced when they get a little bigger).

The ducks are terrible - they're always a mess, they throw water everywhere, they make holes in the ground everywhere. The geese wander around and eat grass. They don't make a mess. I never have a problem with them (other than chasing the dog), and they're certainly more likely to survive a night outside than a duck would.

If we were talking ease of keeping and cleanliness alone, the geese would be the top of the list.

 

[woodmort]

I've got 9 runner ducks, 4 sebastapol geese, and 16 chickens at the moment (they're going to be reduced when they get a little bigger).

The ducks are terrible - they're always a mess, they throw water everywhere, they make holes in the ground everywhere. The geese wander around and eat grass. They don't make a mess. I never have a problem with them (other than chasing the dog), and they're certainly more likely to survive a night outside than a duck would.

If we were talking ease of keeping and cleanliness alone, the geese would be the top of the list.

I agree about the ducks, especially when they have to be cooped up in the winter. That's why I got rid of mine years ago.

Just as long as the geese don't wander into areas where people need to travel they are ok but the expression "Like corn through a goose" applies and their droppings can be a real pain. Mine used to hang out in front of the house--wasn't pleasant going in and out.

 

[SwanSwickard]

We have a duck with our three hens. At first we had a small pond for the duck. I built a ramp for it to get into and out of the pond (Large plastic wading pool). The duck liked the water but never mastered the fact that it could get in and out by itself. As the duck grew, it chose a hen as a mom and followed it around exclusively. Now the duck is twice as big as the hens and as most chickens is having nothing to do with the pond or water. It sleeps in the coop with the chickens and eats and drinks with them. It is a chicken that goes quack, quack. We drained the pool and turned it over for a sun shade only. The stupid duck still thinks that it is a chicken and does not even realize that it has wings that it can fly with. I do not know who is dumber, the chickens or the duck. LOL.

 

[kstavert]

I've had chickens for about 5 or 6 years now...

at the moment, there are at least 30 hens
and 4 or 5 roos....

My in-laws gave me 40-50 duck eggs over
the Summer - to hatch for them... and then,
they decided that they didn't want them...

I now have 8 ducklettes - ranging in age
from 4 weeks to 10 weeks...

Every day, the chickens come out of their
run and peck about the fenced in back yard....

decided to see how they would do with the
ducks, so let them out at the same time...

the chickens invaded the duck's run and
ate anything that wasn't nailed down....

the ducks waddled off to the chicken run
and checked it out... they were not impressed

I am in the process of making the chicken
run much, much larger in order to give them
more room AND, to incorporate the ducks
into the same space...

My concern was about the muddy, watery
mess that ducks make...it's unreal, watching
them eat - food flies EVERYWHERE!!!!!!

the chickens will most likely appreciate that
a great deal...

Some of the the chickens pecked at the ducks
a few times but, mostly, just left them alone ...

The duck's hutch will be along the fence line
and have a separate door into the yard so that
I can easily let them out to go up to the pond....

I've read many posts from experienced duck
owners who have raised ducks and chickens
together very successfully....

so far, I'd say that the ducks are a whole lot
more work than are chickens - which - for now,
anyway - is way outweighed by the silly, funniness
of ducks/ducklettes......

I will update this post once the ducklette/chicken
run is complete...

 

[SanDiegoLady]

Just a reminder, ducks do need a water source to dip their beaks in at all times to keep their nostrils moist and clean. They can die without having enough water to do this, just drinking isn't enough and the watering nipples wouldn't provide this opportunities as they fully immerse and blow to clean their nostrils.

 

[PeggyLou]

We have been raising chickens for several years now. We too, had a duck and two geese that we happily sold to some families with bigger yards. Yes, they were messy...especially the geese! oh my!
However, we currently have 13 hens and 1 rooster. Lovely flock this time around. Our neighbor had three ducks that just showed up one day...it dwindled down to one. They were a bit abusive and neglected the duck remaining, so we enticed it to our side of the fence! We just couldn't see this poor duck living unprotected and with no food and water through the winter. Yes, we get cold here in SLC! Temperatures have dropped and snow is flying. We saved this poor fellow just in time! I really didn't want another duck, but I just couldn't turn my back on the little guy.

I'm hoping that at least through the winter my chickens will get along with Quackers...yes, that's what we named him/her...then we'll find an appropriate home.

 

[Chickenkeepr]

We have 2 Pekin hens living with our 11 hens. They are MESSY. Like, disgustingly, frustratingly messy. We have to keep the chickens water up high so the ducks can only get their heads in (otherwise they WILL go swimming) and they still turn it in to a disgusting mess at night. As far as I can tell the ducks sleep outside (coop is 8x8 with an attached 8x8 covered run and another attaches 8x24 uncovered run) and go in to lay in the morning. I let them out to free rang and play in their pool every morning, and put them back in at night. So, yes they can live together as long as you can handle the mess lol.

 

[ivyboo]

I have my two ducks in with my chickens, they seem to get along fine, the chickens are able to go up to the hen house and the ducks have the whole run to themselves at night. As for water they use the nipple waterer so no mess there. Besides the chickens are the instigators of any issues that do arise!!

Good luck!

I'm thinking of getting a duck or 2 in with my chickens. I found this post and was wondering after so long, did it still work out?