Chicks AND Ducklings?!?

[Bessetti]

Ok all, I'm new to chicken keeping. I have a mail order of 15 chicks coming from Murray McMurrays hatchery. They are due to hatch April 19th. I built them a MASSIVE brooder (they are going to be spoiled babies!). 10 are layers and 5 will be for meat (not naming those ones!). I've been wanting chicks for YEARS. I will be moving in October and plan to expand overtime to having goats, ducks, bees, maybe even a cow eventually.

So here's the issue.... I went to tractor supply store yesterday to pick up some feed. There were the MOST ADORABLE KC ducklings EVER. They get them every week. The giant brooder is already divided in two. My neighbors all have chickens and are going to help me cull the meat birds and I already have shelter for them so that shouldn't be too much. Is it too much to take on 2 ducklings with what I'm already getting?

Please say no, Haha!

 

[needlessjunk]

Personally I think since you are new to fowl to just get one or the other. You can always add later. Chickens and ducks, while similar, have different needs. Ducks love to make huge messes with water while chicks are much neater and don't do well with wet bedding.

 

[Jennn27]

Yeah I got 8 chicks and 3 ducks all at once. It was an interesting few weeks, that's for sure! It worked ok at first,until the ducks figured out how to turn the water over. Chicks do not appreciate water play! lol I had to separate them for a while, but they are all outside and happy now. Next time I get more babies, I won't be doing it at the same time! hahaha

So, yeah, I think it may be best to wait until your chicks are outside before you get ducklings.

 

[chicks alot]

I got my first flock of six chickens four years ago. Two weeks ago I went to get 6 to 8 new chicks and ended up with 24 chicks and 6 ducks! That's what happens when the husband goes shopping with me ! He insisted on getting ducks and encouraged me to get chicken breeds that I hadn't planned on. I have done tons of research through the years on raising chickens but knew absolutely nothing about raising ducks. All 30 babies are being brooded in storage boxes in the spare bedroom. Based on my experiences the past two weeks I would recommend that you start with just one or the other for now and add the other at another time.