Can you keep ducks with chickens? Lots of questions!

[lightchick]

Well I might be interested in getting a duck. I'd want a Runner or other breed of duck that lays lots of eggs. I'd keep it with 6-8 chickens. Would that be OK? Could I feed it layer pellets with my chickens or something else? I want a quiet duck because I live in town. Do they lay every day? Like a chicken? I heard that they are pretty messy, but with only one would it be THAT messy? It'd be raised by me or maybe my Silkie if she turns out to be a girl.
Thanks for the info.

 

[ALJhappychicken]

​

Well I might be interested in getting a duck.  I'd want a Runner or other breed of duck that lays lots of eggs.  I'd keep it with 6-8 chickens.  Would that be OK?  Could I feed it layer pellets with my chickens or something else?  I want a quiet duck because I live in town.   Do they lay every day?  Like a chicken?  I heard that they are pretty messy, but with only one would it be THAT messy?  It'd be raised by me or maybe my Silkie if she turns out to be a girl.  
Thanks for the info.

Yeah, I've been wondering the same thing.

 

[lightchick]

​

Quote: Haha! Hope someone answers us!

 

[DUCKOBSESSED]

I do not keep mine together. My Roo attacks my ducks. Also a drake can kill a hen if he mates with her.

 

[wonkyflock14]

Well I might be interested in getting a duck. I'd want a Runner or other breed of duck that lays lots of eggs. I'd keep it with 6-8 chickens. Would that be OK? Could I feed it layer pellets with my chickens or something else? I want a quiet duck because I live in town. Do they lay every day? Like a chicken? I heard that they are pretty messy, but with only one would it be THAT messy? It'd be raised by me or maybe my Silkie if she turns out to be a girl.
Thanks for the info.

I have 5 chickens and 2 Pekin ducks. Pekins are a lot bigger than Runners, so I can't say for sure about laying every day because Pekins don't. You just have to do your research regarding different breeds and their laying capacity. Also, I feed my ducks the same thing I feed my chickens without a problem. My ducks are VERY loud, so I definitely don't recommend Pekins, also one gender tends to "talk" more than the other (not sure which yet as I haven't seen a drake feather).
They are VERY messy and I would not suggest getting only one. Chickens roost at night and the ducks can't, so you would end up with a very lonely duck at night. During the day my flock all cuddles together, so the ducks will fit right in, you just have to make sure it is a good home for the whole flock.

Ducks are so much fun to raise. Good luck!

 

[lightchick]

Well I read that Runners can lay up to 300 eggs a year and I can't remember what, but there is a breed that can lay up to 350 eggs a year.
I know ducks like cuddling, but Silkies do too so maybe they would do that. I think it would work because 1 I don't have a rooster and 2 I would get a girl duck for the eggs.

 

[DUCKOBSESSED]

Then that might work. Also if it is raised by the chicken that would be different. Runners do lay a lot of eggs.

 

[jerryse]

I have done this before . Bad idea . Ducks make a mess of the water . My chicken got enteritis from this . Water nipples may be OK . Did not have them way back when I tried it .

 

[MichelleL64]

I have khaki Campbell's and pekins. The pekins are much louder so I don't recommend getting them. The khaki Campbell's are typically kept for eggs. I keep them in separate housing from my chickens. Ducks are extremely messy!!!

 

[Tevyes Dad]

Ducks are the opposite of chickens. The girls make all the noise. I am sure some are more vocal than others, but in my flock, there was the same amount of quacking when I had 2 girls as there is now they just seem to take turns but the overall quack level is the same. The exception is my Pekin who is supposed to be a girl quacks as raspy as my drakes, but twice as loud as any other of my girls and three times as often (as a duckling she peeped twice as loud too). They are too young for me to have actual experience, but my runners and Welsh Harlequin (best laying breeds) are the more vocal of the bunch. Might be just mine or might be the breeds.

Duck + anything + water = mess! If you can isolate it so there is Duck + water and Duck + anything else, mess will be reduced but ducks will try to put everything in their water and water on everything. As an example, I have two pools right now for my flock. A stock tank and a kiddie pool. To get to the stock tank, they have to walk a six foot long ramp (about 3 feet up). That water only has poop and feathers in it and the surrounding area is left alone. The kiddie pool has a couple brick steps, but they can reach in and drink from it anywhere around its perimeter. The pool is full of mud constantly and they have dug an 8" deep hole on one side of it (about 8 x 4" wide). They splash the pool water in the hole, make more mud and dig deeper, putting the mud in the pool. A potential solution would be to put gravel or pavers around the pool to "block" immediate access to the dirt and let the water soak through but that can cause it's own problems. My solution will be to build a second ramp and use another stock tank. I agree that a single duck will probably be lonely at night when the chickens roost. They are very social, so I would at least consider a pair (meaning two, probably not a drake in your situation).