Chicken question.

[featherfinder]

I have 6 ducks already and my family doesnt like the eggs so i wanted to get 2 or 3 chickens for the eggs. I wanted to keep them in with the ducks and just modify the duck house with a roost and a few nest boxes. Do you think this would work? Also what would be a good type of chicken to get for eggs? Also a good broody to maybe sit on duck eggs for me. I have runners and they tend not to go broody. I was looking at silkies. Any opinions? And last question. My ducks are fed nutrena all flock. Would this be ok for the chickens as well?


Thank you!

 

[Pele]

It sounds like you've got all your bases covered for adopting these ducks. Chickens can hatch out duck eggs (though ducks generally can't hatch chicken eggs- too wet). You are on the right track, as Silkies are very well known for broodiness. I would just caution you to obtain standard sized silkies, not bantams. I'm actually cracking up right now just visualizing a poor bantam trying to sit a duck egg.

And yes, the feed sounds good. Though you'll want to get higher protien feed once you get the babies hatched.

 

[ThePigeonKid]

Yes. I keep my chickens & ducks in the same coop.

A good chicken for eggs? I would get Red Star, Barred Rock, or Black Australorp.

Silkies are good for going broody.

 

[flowerhensowner]

you should not keep ducks and chickens together ducks carry deases that chickens can not fight with their ammune system.You should keep all your poultry separate in different pens have read lots about this cause was going get turkeys but didnt want to build another coup

 

[Flock Runner]

everything sounds good to me except for one thing. do you have a duck pond for your birds? if you do be cautious because i once had ducks and chickens together and one morning when i went outside to feed one of my chickens was floating in the duck pool

. think about having a separate run for the duck pond all together.

 

[featherfinder]

Flock runner- Yes i have a duck pond but it is sunk into the ground and only an inch or so stick above the ground. Do you think the chickens would be ok to jump out of that if they fell in with it being so low?


So mixed opinions on housing together and silkies are good broodies! How are they at egg laying? It would be 2-3 hens so even if one didnt lay everyday that would still be ok. I have just always really like silkies.

 

[featherfinder]

Anyone please?

 

[SuperChickenDude327]

They usually lay around 100 a year, so about 1 per... 4 days or so. Each. Plus, they're small.

There is a small chance that your ducks WON'T like your chickens, and throttle them to death. Gives me the shivers whenever my bus driver mentioned what happened with her flocks.