Chickens and ducks!?!? Question for ducky people

[Silkiesandco]

Hello!

I was wondering 2 things,

1. Do chickens and ducks get along (enough to like be in the same coop)?

2. If you have chickens do ducks need to have another duck or can they just be with chickens (basically could i only buy 1 duck and toss it in with my chickens and it would be okay and not depressed)?

Thanks!

 

[Silkiesandco]

Bumpin it up

 

[easttxchick]

Ducks and chickens can be housed together. Ducks DO tend to like to grab the chickens by the tail, though.

As far as a single duck-no, not a good idea. 2 or 3 ducks at least so they can have their own little duck group.

 

[Rosecomb-Ryan]

1) I have chickens that fly from pen to pen with my ducks and have never had a problem.

2) Ducks dont speak chicken. And would probably not love being alone.. The best idea would be to get 2...

 

[dabblingducks]

We had two older chickens, then were given two ducklings... they grew up with the chickens and all got on fine. We have since hatched some ducks and chickens around the same time, so they shared a box and brooder etc when they were born - they got on fine. Ducks don't cope very well alone so it's better to have a friend for him, I guess another duck would be better but then again, the last lot we hatched the duckling was with the chicks for a few months and was absolutely fine, although now he's older he is with the other ducks and seems very happy. So your best bet is to get another duck, and if they both get on with the chickens then it's a bonus

 

[Silkiesandco]

thanks for the replies. Whats the quietest breed thats also docile?

 

[gdhp]

As much as it's nice to have more than one duck and all, I wouldn't say it's a must.

Our latest duckling was hatched at the same time as some chickens so grew up at the same time as them. After eight weeks of living life as a chicken we moved him round with the older ducks, he quacks the loudest moaning quack you will ever hear when you drag him round from his chicken friends. So I'm not sure if I buy this ducks 'don't talk chicken' idea. Ours got a long fine with the chickens and is closer to them than the ducks.

 

[Sara66]

I have 3 Orpington chickens and 1 khaki Campbell duck, all live together in a coop with a large run. All were born on July 4 2010, and grew up together with no problems. I think the duck thinks she's a chicken <3 lol. They use the same nests, and the duck eggs are great. However, I separated the duck last week because her head had been pecked. I don't know why this started, but its the second time in a month, so I am going to find her a new home once her owie heals. I have known many people with both, and I have been told they do well together especially if they grew up together. You should be fine getting a duck or two if you watch to be sure they are getting along. Also, consider the mess ducks make with the water and food, and that they need a clean supply of fresh water deep enough to dunk their head in (to clean their eyes & face, and clear their sinuses). They can be prone to eye infections if they cannot clean their faces. My one duck needs her water bucket changed twice a day, and each time its filthy lol. She is lots of fun in the pool, I am sad to have to say good bye to her. Best wishes for you and your flock!!

 

[m.kitchengirl]

i have 3 9-10 week old anconas.
the initial set up i had for them was too small, so when they moved from the brooder they moved in to the chicken coop. i had just finished winterizing & the chickens were on lockdown. they were 15 weeks at the time.
the chickens were not what i would call "welcoming". they tried often to break through the barrier i had separating the duck area from the chicken area. (OFTEN = constantly.)
i gave it 48 hours, just to see if they would sort it out.
i cleaned the coop everyday but it was not a maintenance cleaning, like i do everyday with one clean out a week. everything was soaked, the whole coop smelled like duck. everything had to be cleaned & washed & all the bedding changed everyday they were in there. i started to think i couldn't handle the ducks, they were just too messy. (i had read A LOT & "knew" that, but reality was much worse for those 4 days than i had anticipated.)
after 4 days i finished the remodel of the duck enclosure. the ducklings (4 weeks old) had enough to deal with being in their adolescent phase & petrified of everything as it was.
the chickens still give the ducks a hard time. they are like a gang. they roll deep up to the duck yard, and if they can - while i am cleaning the enclosure, etc - they parade around in there, showing the ducks who is boss.
sometimes i feel like i am watching the crips & bloods.
the chickens don't really do anything to the ducks. they don't peck or attack them. but they do broadcast their strength.
i have 2 more anconas that are about a week away from being old enough to join the others outside, and i hope it makes the chickens a little nervous, 5 ducks, rather than 3. they will be almost evenly matched.

for myself, i would not go back to a shared space. even though all had the "correct" number of square feet, it wasn't workable for me. now that the duck enclosure is up & almost complete (maybe, are they ever done? i want to make little modifications to both the coops all the time.) my clean up is SO much easier. the duck enclosure is actually much easier than the coop, and only takes me about 15 minutes a day, if i don't stare at the ducks the whole time. (which i do, and am out there for hours.) when i do my "full" clean out - weekly - it still only takes about 25 minutes, which is less than the 35-45 minutes the chicken coop takes. when they shared it was about an hour of clean up a day. also, the ducks are much happier not in with chickens. they are fine in the common areas of the yard together, which is nice. i am sure if i got them all at the same time it would be much easier for them all to play nice & be friends, but anconas are so hard to find out here & i had my heart set on them as my first duck & was not about to "settle". i am glad for that, too, as i find them endlessly fascinating.