Can my Khaki Campbell ducklings be raised with my hens?

[Demorest Farms]

I have 4 Khaki Campbell ducklings about 3 weeks old and was wondering if I can put them in to live with my hens when they are old enough? I have 5 Barred Rock and 5 Rhode Island Reds (one RIR is a rooster). Also my ducklings aren't imprinting on me, every time I go near their pen they chirp at me and run. I crawl towards them so that they aren't threatened by my size but this doesn't seam to help. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[Mum]

Welcome to BYC

The ducklings will have 'imprinted' on one another; the way to get them used to you is patience and spending a lot of time with them. A great treat to show them you are friend not foe are defrosted frozen peas

There will nearly always come a stage though where they do not want to be petted and fussed. My ducks like their routine and come running to me when I get the corn bucket out. I have a couple of ducklings that I'm acclimatising outside slowly but surely; they are not quite 2 weeks old. Because my older ducks are so used to me, when I sit outside with the ducklings and they come over for a nosey, the ducklings run to me and I 'hide' them behind my hands while the big ducks look and listen (then wander off).

Ducks and hens. Yes, it can be done. It is not something I would do though because they are different species and have differing needs. Hopefully someone with experience on this will be along and give you advice.

 

[duckyfromoz]

Ducks will be fine with hens...but drakes may cause you some problems. The anatomy of a rooster is different to a duck and when it comes to mating- drakes can do some serious damage to a hen. If your ducks are all females the only issues really is water- and how to keep clean water for both the chooks and ducks.