Can you keep chickens/quail/ducks together?

[lcw]

i disagree with quail running away if you let them out.

i started out with 12 quail 2 years ago,let them out to be wild and still have 8 to this very day.
they roam with the chickens and guineas. i dont have a problem. but thats just me i guess.

 

[gmendoza]

my chickens(17) ducks(2) guineas (2) and roo quail(3) live happily together in a coop of 8'x8'x7' and a run of 12'x24'x7'.

I might paint it yellow this spring!

"We all live in the yellow submarine"

 

[La Mike]

Chickens and ducks no problem
Quail can live with chickens but its not a good idea being chickens can give game birds diseases that do not affect the chicken but will kill your game birds
General rule is to keep game birds at least 100 feet away from chickens

 

[gmendoza]

Quote:
Well I guess im breaking the rules.So typical of me to break obscure rules.Noone has died,everyone very healthy. Just some silly superstition someone spread around.

 

[Caprice_Acres]

I free range my geese, guineas, chickens, ducks, and muscovies together. Our broilers and BBW turkies also range with them, during the growing season. I also have 'free range' cats and dogs out there, too.

The basic idea is that they all have adequate space to get away from each other so no issues occur.

It all depends on space. As the number of birds increases, increase the amount of housing, feed sources (multiple pans/feeders) and water sources (multiple pans/waters). A good way to keep the water poop free (but you'll still get some crud in the water, believe me) is to put the water behind fencing that the birds can't climb over or go through, BUT they can stick their heads through to drink. That will at least keep the duck/goose poo out of the water, though the ducks will still muck it up to some extent by dabbling their beaks clean of food after they're done eating. I dump their water every day, however.

 

[Wokawidget]

I can't really comment on quails as I have never personally kept them. I did look into it and the two things that stuck out were 1) If you free range them with no boundries they could leg it. 2) They lay their eggs anywhere, which can get eaten or stepped on.

One point regarding your 1st post on ponds and chickens...from what I have seen my chickens can swim...and very well. A while back I had a baby Marrans rooster and he was a great swimmer in the bath. He just popped his wings out and paddled around quite happily.
When I built my new pond outside I made it quite deep and wanted to know what would happen if a chicken fell in. I took each of my chickens in turn and dropped them in the water at the deep end of the pond. All of them then put their wings out and quite casually paddled to the shallow end where there's a ramp to get out. Once out of the pond they didn't seem to chuffed that they were wet.

Chickens stay afloat very easily as they are no where near as dense as water.

Woka

 

[bluebird]

My pigeons, chicken, and 2 bantam ducks all live happily together. Don't know about quail.

 

[duckking]

5 ducks and 4 chickens together, but ducks have their house and chickens have their coop at night. They split off and go into their respective homes at night all by themselves, bless them.

 

[pascopol]

Quote:
Chickens and ducks can forage together, as for cop arrangements it is possible but it takes experience and common sense.

Quail with other species?

Big NO NO, potential desease spread and potential contamination of wildlife in case of accidental release of sick quail.

Releases intended or not happen all the time.

I am sure your state Game and Fish rep would not be thrilled with the idea.

Quails are species vulnerable to domestic fowl deseases.

If you want to keep quail you need some education and assume some responsibility for our precious wild bird ecosystem.

 

[gmendoza]

Quote:
Chickens and ducks can forage together, as for cop arrangements it is possible but it takes experience and common sense.

Quail with other species?

Big NO NO, potential desease spread and potential contamination of wildlife in case of accidental release of sick quail.

Releases intended or not happen all the time.

I am sure your state Game and Fish rep would not be thrilled with the idea.

Quails are species vulnerable to domestic fowl deseases.

If you want to keep quail you need some education and assume some responsibility for our precious wild bird ecosystem.

My quail are inside of the coop and run with the chickens,ducks,and guineas and they are fine!

Im sure these creatures have been living out in the wild next to each other for centuries with no problem.

I dont see anything wrong with my setup,they are thriving great.

Im not changing a darn thing.