Can Chickens be housed with a pet duck?

[ParrotGirl]

This may be a dumb question, (am new to chickens) but we have a very large metal and wire aviary in our backyard that my husband built a few years back for my son's pet duck.... 1 duck and the building is 10' wide by 15' long and at least 10' high. One end is completely closed in and the other 3/4's of the enclosure is all metal screen with a dirt bottom covered with mulch in the summer and hay in the winter. This end has a metal roof.
We just purchased 2 new baby chickens who currently live in my son's room (in a large rubbermaid bin) but I know it won't be long before they have to be housed outside. Would we be able to house the chickens in this area too or would building a separate coop be necessary?

 

[pookiegoldman]

My chickens and ducks live together. They never complained about one another. At least not to me.

I would put them in a smaller cage inside the run and let them get aquainted for a while before releasing them together.

 

[turney31]

The only problem is ducks play in and waste water, thus making it dirty for the chickens to drink.

 

[gretchenhau]

I have 6 ducks that go night night with 42 chickens every night, the drink form the turtle sandbox (now water box) and do well together.

 

[pookiegoldman]

Quote:
I Second that! Forgot to mention that about the ducks. I too have a turtle sandbox which is now for water, but also have other waterers that the ducks can't get into. Make sure you have an additional source of clean water for the animals.

 

[ParrotGirl]

Thanks everyone! Most of our animals do not know what species they are at my home anyway.....

My yorkies will nap with the duck or bunny and most nights the duck and bunny sleep snuggled next to one another. One morning I walked outside to find our duck sitting right on top of the bunny. (He's a very large bunny) I even had a guinea pig here once that I was housing for a friend on vacation and one of my little dogs used to climb into it's cage and nap with it too.
I will make sure to have a clean water source for the chickens. Good point!

 

[ParrotGirl]

Hey pookiegoldman,

My hubbie is working in Grand Isle right now with BP - still cleaning up from the oil spill..... didn't realize you were so close to home! I'm about an hour or so away from Grand Isle.

 

[pookiegoldman]

Quote:
Yeah, it really is a small world. I've got really good friends that live in Luling too! The DiMaggio family...

 

[mboreham1]

I agree to a point about the water, but dont get too obsessed with it. Wild chickens dont the the pleasure of filtered water or clean water twice a day, they drink whatever they can find! I am not advocating having them drink nasty algae infested water, however i see them pecking at their own poop, so drinking water 1 duck may have swam in and done its business is not going to kill them!

 

[ParrotGirl]

I already have a rabbit and a very large Sulcata Tortoise living in the same enclosure as the duck. They all seem to be happy together and my son gives them fresh clean water every morning. I have several different water sources in the habitat. The ducks favorite one has tall enough sides that the rabbit and tortoise can't drink from it. Think everyone can co-exist without many problems.... thanks for all the advice!