Can Ducks and Chickens Free Range Together?

[EverythingDucks]

I know you can't keep ducks and chickens in the same coop because of the humidity from ducks, and drakes have a um, you know, while roosters do not.
But out in a large area could you free range them together? Or would the drakes still chase the hen's around? Has anyone had success with this?
They'll each have their own run and coop, and either way they can have some free range time in the day (in a fenced area).
If they can't be together I'll just put up a fence in between them.

 

[HappyDuckie]

Mine all free range together without problems, and have lived in a coop together without problems. I think the main reasons are how many female ducks the drake has, and how much room to free range on.

 

[Trisseh]

Personally I believe it all comes down to personalities of individual birds. mine all hang out in the yard free ranging together with no issues, although I have one drake (a Muscovy mule) that can’t be left alone with the chickens as he has an unhealthy obsession with them; he was raised with a chick and no other ducks so he’s confused. Other than that, I’ve never had my drakes cause any problems, and both species seem to stick together. So sure they’re all in the yard at the same time, but the chickens stay in a chicken group, and the ducks stay in a duck group. Both groups seem to move around each other with no problems. best to monitor their interactions for the first few times, but if everyone is getting along fine and no silliness, they should be alright.

 

[Pinckney]

Yes they can. No issues with mine.

 

[416bigbore]

We have a mixed flock and they get along for the most part, they were all raised together which I think helps. I don't like it when our chickens will sometimes out of the blue, peck at the ducks at the feed dish so I started to feed them separately because of it.

 

[Callender Girl]

My chickens, runner ducks and geese all free range together during the day and coop separately at night.

The ducks have a tendency to nip at the chickens when food is involved, but it's just one or two quick nips, no real harm done. Everyone has their own feeding area, but the ducks tend to eat much faster and want to check out their neighbors' dishes.