Can ducks and chickens live together?

[sunkistfarm]

I have a small chicken house with 7 hens and 1 rooster. they are Easter Eggers. My daughter wants to get a duckling. Can a duck live with the chickens (same house) or will they kill it? if they will get along, is there any breed of duck that has a better disposition that I shold look into getting? I know very little about ducks but she is asking for one... Thanks for any help.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Yes ducks can live with chickens - but ducks are messy, wet messy. They like to put everything into the water - everything

They are also social and two would better than one duckling. I have raised a duckling with chicks - he has bonded to the chickens he was raised with, likes the other chickens, bosses the roos around and is scared of the other ducks. He is not even interested in the other ducks to make ducklings, he is two years old. So you could raise a single duckling with a couple chicks.

Just remember they are messy.




But so very lovable

 

[ben is a terror]

I had two ducks living in my chicken run. the swimming pool is outside far from the door to the coop. Yes they are messy! My chickens roosted above them. Poop on the head sent them to the other side of the pen It made it easier to clean just one side of the coop than the whole thing. Mine seem to sleep and poo on one space. I wouldn't want more than 2 or 3 ducks in my coop. My coop is 5x7 plus a large run
Good Luck

 

[mommyofthreewithchicks]

Yep- Figure out the water situation as the ducks will use up ALL the water you put before them... I have mine together and winter was interesting. During the rest of the seasons I can have water outside and as such everyone is MUCH happier.

 

[sunkistfarm]

Will I need to put a small pool in the outside run? Is it possible that the chickens will fall in it and drown? I don't want to do anything to endanger them.
My chickens have a fairly large run. As for the messy part...is it that they just poo more than chickens?
What would I do in winter? Do ducks need to swim year round?
Thanks for the help.

 

[Kaitie09]

We have a kiddie pool that we tested, and the chickens can get out of if one happens to jump in (maybe 8 in. deep?). As for the poo- they cannot regulate when they go, so they just go everywhere and at any time and it can be very watery. With the mess, they cannot eat their food without washing with water, so you will have almost a mash that gets flung around as they are going to the water and back. It ends up getting really stinky and gross, so you have to clean it 1-2 times a day. Also, they tend to try and fit their entire bodies into to waterer and they and up splashing water all over the place. They technically do not need a pond at all, but they are much much more happy when they do. You will also have to empty their pool 1-2 times a day or more depending on the bedding in the run, and how muddy they can get it.

 

[cbrown86]

I let my 2 ducks out with my 4 chicks in the run, but keep them separate otherwise, bc as mentioned, they are MESSY!

 

[ben is a terror]

I have to agree with all I have 2 small kiddie pools about 8-10 " deep Clean water will be poop water in miniutes. I only fill one at a time and try to move them around the pen to try not to heve one soaked area all the time. I also put the pool on a pallet so it is not right on the ground. They love it when I empty the pool and then lift the pallet ducky mudd heaven lots of rootin and stuff. Be carefull don't fill the pool all the way to the top you'll hurt your back trying to empty it. I empty my pool at birdy bedtime so the ground can absorb much of it. Oh forgot to mention the duck pool water can really STINK. Don't let it sit in the sun to long. On the good side ducks are so much fun!!!! Wathching them run across the yard flapping away and not getting anywhere. Listening to them talk to you and talk back when you tell for the 100th time to stop doing something. Hearing a bill tapping on the slider open the blinds and there are those faces. Morning Mom where is breakfast.
Have Fun

 

[Fair isle]

They can live tighter but the only problem we have is that we have a drake and it rapes the chickens.