Chickens keep drowning in duck pool!!! Help!!!

[nuke]

Ok, so I have a decent size run for my chickens and a few ducks. I have a kiddie pool in this run for the ducks. (it's just a standard $10 plastic pool from walmart). The problem is, my chickens keep drowning! I had 2 adult chickens drown in a period of 3 weeks. It was frustrating, but I figured it could just be a coincidence. Then about a month later I had another one drown. I put cinder blocks in as a way of maybe helping them out. I went out there today and had not one, but 2 chickens drown!!! I don't know what the deal is! I do have 3 male ducks in the pen, a rouen and 2 runners. They do tend to harass the chickens sometimes, but do you think this could be the problem? Maybe the chickens get near the pond and the ducks flip out or something. I hate to get rid of the pool because I use the water to irrigate fruit trees, but this is getting ridiculous! Any thoughts on why this keeps happening?

 

[cafarmgirl]

If the water is not to deep and there is a way to get out if the chickens fall in then it could definitely have something to do with the ducks and them being aggressive towards the chickens. No way to know without seeing what's going on I guess, but since there is aggression going on with the ducks towards the chickens they probably need to be kept separate. A friend of mine had to separate her male ducks from her hens due to their aggression as well.

 

[Eggcessive]

Many people use those kiddie pools in chicken runs without problems, so I would say that your male ducks are drowning them. I would separate the two groups.

 

[sunflour]

I think you do need to separate them, block chickens out of pool area. Chickens don't have traction on their feet so if they fall in or slip in trying to roost on edge, may be slipping when trying to get out. No matter what the cause, sounds like more losses if you don't make a change in management.

 

[enola]

Are all of the chickens that have died hens?

If they are, my guess is the male ducks are drowning them while they are trying to breed them.

You really need to separate your chickens from your ducks.

 

[Nambroth]

Male ducks can be very... persistent in breeding females, to the point where male ducks will even occasionally drown female ducks. With a chicken hen, she has much less chance. It would be my guess that your drakes are drowning your hens. Hens can easily avoid drowning in a kiddie pool unless they are being mounted.

 

[Suzie]

I totally agree..some of my drakes do mount my hens...even on dry land...they can be extremely aggressive...

My chickens have separate housing at night but during the day all free range together...I am ever observant of the interaction during the daytime hours and will intervene if my ducks show any unwanted interest with the chickens, the ducks will pull at the wings of some of my chickens and toss them around...any that are persistent in bad behaviour are sent to freezer camp...

 

[Sommerthyme76]

Freezer Camp!

 

[RainbowHen]

I'm sorry but yes your male ducks are indeed drowning your chickens. I have had kiddie pools for my chickens for many years and never had a drowned bird. Even a young one. Male ducks should not be kept with chickens. I am so sorry this happened

 

[aeward73]

I’m having same issue it is definitely NOT the ducks in my case. I have put up 2 foot chicken wire around the pool with one entrance there are brick stepping stones as an escape and the chicks are jus too stupid to paddle to the brick staircase to climb out… I have consistently watched as I work from home and it is outside my office window. So in my case it is not the ducks I am baffled and frustrated