can you keep ducks and chickens together?

[jacca5]

I keep my ducks in with 9 chickens they do not free range so they are together all the time. I have had no problems with it.

 

[dacjohns]

More on my ducks. I'm pretty sure they are two males. They are getting more and more aggressive towards the chickens. One picked up a "teenager" by the neck today and carried it quite a ways. The rooster just followed like he was seeing what was going on. The duck dropped the chick after my wife chased after it. Later on today the ducks were almost stalking the little chicks.

Space isn't an issue since they roam the yard during the day. My yard is big.

Tomorrow we are butchering chickens. Ducks might be part of it.

Ducks might be able to live with chickens but mine aren't doing too good. Maybe if I had two females or a male and female it might be different.

 

[busybychoice]

thanks everyone....much to think about. Seeing as I have a drake I certainly dont want mutant duckens running around.

 

[Harley's girl]

I have 5 ducks and countless chickens. They are all together. I have a kiddie pool for the ducks. When the ducks are swimming the chickens set on the edge of the pool and watch them swim!

I need to get a pic of that! So far so good. My Jumbo Pekin is 4 months old now. She does not take slack from the chickens. She keeps them in line.

If there would be an issue I would just separate them. Good luck!!

 

[Henrietta23]

Found this thread while searching for info on drakes and roosters. We have 3 chickens that free range right now. Two are older hens and one is a rooster who is 4.5 months old. He has been doing the rooster thing with the younger of the two hens. Today for the first time I let my blue swedish ducks out of their pen while the chickens were out. They are a pair. For a good half hour they all just went about their business, almost unaware of each other. Then I noticed they were hanging out together very peacefully. That lasted another 15 minutes or so. I was right there but working in the garden so I didn't see who started it, but the rooster and the drake started getting more and more aggressive with each other. I think of my drake as being such a gentle young guy and I thought he'd back down and run off. Nope, he kept going at the Oliver who at first showed signs of backing down. Then neither would back down so I stepped in and got the ducks back in their pen. For the rest of the day they glared at each other through the fence. That drake would not take his eyes off Oliver! I think Oliver must have gotten too close to the female duck and may even have tried to mate with her. The drake hasn't shown any interest in her that way yet but he is very protective of her. Oh well, looks like my ducks will only be able to be out if the chickens are penned.
And tomorrow we are going to try to let the pullets and the other rooster out with the other three so I'll have to be ready to separate the roosters if they can't work out their differences. Aaaaaahhhh!

 

[mountainchick]

So, I put the 4 week old ducks in with the 1 yr. old hens yesterday. The chickens don't quite know what to think. My black sex link seems to be somewhat of a bully but I am keeping my eye on her. The others seem afraid of the "unknown". Since they all eat the same food I figured I would give it a try. I am in the process of building a separate pen with a pool for the ducks, to hang out during the day. At night I will keep them in the coop with the chickens.

 

[Feathered Wings]

Quote:
Even tho Ducks and Chickens appear to be equal they are far from it.

Haveing drakes with hens (chicken) and a pool can lead to the drakes dragging the hens to water to mate and drowning them.
Some drakes weigh more than the Hens (chicken) and can burst a egg in them trying to mate or worse break their backs.
Duck hens can easily be abused by a rooster as they are very passive something roosters love.
Frequent mating to the duck hen would just be cruel and it could effect their personality's.
I also read on a site a lady said she believed her Drake injured her Hens (chicken) because drakes have a male part and roosters don't.
She believed he was ripping their vents because they all had vent injuries and it wasn't from picking.

You can find all this online if you will look for it thats where i got this info before i ever got my ducks.

If it was a setting with only hens duck/chicken i don't see there being a problem.
Just my opinion but ducks should be with ducks and chickens with chickens the less drama in my flock the better i like it.

And for the person who said let them mate and see what becomes of it

Don't you think if it could be done someone would have already laid claim to the first "Chucklings" or would it be a "Duckins"

 

[muddipuppy]

What kind of feed are you giving to both your ducks and chickens?

 

[Bleenie]

I have 13 muscovy in with 14 chickens, mostly bantams. they all get along fine. it's only temporary until i get the other pens done, but they do well together.

the ducks have a shallow rubber dish for water & theres also a water can in there too.

they eat the same feed, also in a rubber dish, the chickens waste less that way and everyone can get around..or in..the dish to eat.

 

[Farm girl 1465]

What are you feeding the chicks and ducklings while they are together??? Chick start or is there a general poultry starter??? We are considering adding 2 ducklings to our chick order this spring.
We will have 15 chicks and 2 ducklings Any advice would be great! Do the ducklings come out of the brooder earlier than the chicks? They will all eventually share a coop, outside run and would spend a good part of each day Free ranging