Chickens and Ducks: separate or together?

[ForFlocksSake]

I am getting 3 female ducks this spring and can’t decide if it’s better to build them a completely separate enclosure from my chickens or put them all together. I have 18 chickens (all hens never a rooster) in an enclosure that’s a bit over 1,000sq/ft. We have the ability to either add another 600-800 sq/ft to the enclosure or build it separately for ducks. In the beginning we’ll use an kiddie pool for them to splash and likely eventually put a more permanent water source. Either way, the ducks will have separate housing in the evening as our chicken coop would not accommodate ducks.

Is it better to have a chicken area separate from the duck area or should I just build it as an extension of the chicken enclosure so everyone mingles together?

 

[Chicken_Obsesser]

@casportpony

 

[RapidsRanchShowPoultry]

i have done both and seperate is better because ducks like to swim and chickens will drown in a kiddy pool also ducks need more niacin than chickens but that is doable. Also ducks will pick on chickens sometimes i had problems with female ducks instead of male ducks killing my chickens. Also ducks are so messy and sometimes that ends up giving bumble to lot more birds when you have them together but a easy fix is to refresh straw outside the coop

 

[RapidsRanchShowPoultry]

i have done both and seperate is better because ducks like to swim and chickens will drown in a kiddy pool also ducks need more niacin than chickens but that is doable. Also ducks will pick on chickens sometimes i had problems with female ducks instead of male ducks killing my chickens. Also ducks are so messy and sometimes that ends up giving bumble to lot more birds when you have them together but a easy fix is to refresh straw outside the coop

LMK if you have anymore questions