Chicks with ducks?

[Rethia]

Question for you more experienced chicken wranglers. I currently have duck eggs in my incubator. If the hatch is 100% successful, there will be 8 Khaki Campbell and 5-6 Pekin ducks by the end. I'm currently brooding chicks and they will be almost 4 weeks old by the time the first ducks are hatching. I want to move most of the chicks to a transitory brooder they stay in while they are being flock integrated, but I was thinking about maybe keeping 2-3 chicks in the brooder to hang out with the ducks for a week.

1. Is it a bad idea to have mixed ages and breeds in the same brooder? I have one chick that's about 3/4 of the size of the others and a couple others of the extra friendly ones and I was thinking they could teach the ducklings how to drink. It also means I wouldn't need to completely reset the brooder.

2. Is there a downside to having the ducklings immediately in an outside brooder? Daytime temps here are upper 80s at the moment and upper 60s or low 70s overnight. Ducklings would have a brooder plate, but I'm a little concerned they'll be too hot at night.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I would not mix them. The ducks will bond with the chicks and will be confused and think they are all the same species. At maturity drakes will try to mate chicken hens, and will fight with the rooster.

 

[Rethia]

I would not mix them. The ducks will bond with the chicks and will be confused and think they are all the same species. At maturity drakes will try to mate chicken hens, and will fight with the rooster.

I hadn't thought about the ducklings imprinting on the chickens, that's a really good point. I guess I'll just move the chicks out and do the good ol' beak dip for the ducklings after they hatch. Thanks!