Cohabitation ... chickens and ducklings

[PerpetualLearner]

Cohabitation

I have 29 chicken about 3 1/2 months old and @ 50 ducklings a little over 1 month old. The coop is @ 5' square with a really big fenced area. My brother told me to put the ducklings into tthe coop/run.
1)Is this gonna work?

I use a pan that goes under a water heater with a dripping hose as their water source. I clean it out about 1 a week.
2)Would a small kiddie pool be better for the combined population?

I'm adding the nesting boxes for the chickens this weekend.
3)Do I need them for the ducks?

I live in upstate SC
4)Do I need to do anything special for winter?

Any and all advice wound be appreciated. I'm working on pics. I've taken them but am having trouble uploading to computer. Maybe I need special software???

 

[FenDruadin]

1) I'd be very concerned about having baby anything in with adult anything in the bird world. I'd worry that the adults (especially chickens, who have sharp beaks) would injure the babies. Adult poultry generally do NOT appreciate young intruders in their space, or really anything young they have to share space with. Also, I would not put 1-month-old ducks outdoors with the chilly weather we've been having (I'm in Charlotte NC) unless they have access to a heated area.

2) When you do combine chickens and ducks they MUST have separate water sources. The chickens need clean water in a location the ducks can't reach (perhaps on a platform the chickens fly onto), and the ducks need deep water they can dunk their entire heads into (otherwise, their nostrils get clogged and make them sick). A small kiddie pool is PERFECT for ducks, as it allows them to get in and get cleaned up. But you WILL be changing the water more than once a week, unless you want ugly, muddy, unhappy ducks. I can usually get away with every three days, but every two days is better and every day is ideal. Ducks will muck their water VERY quickly.

3) Many ducks will ignore nesting boxes. However, if you give them nest boxes at ground level with fake eggs (golf balls work nicely), they will be more likely to lay in them and the eggs will stay cleaner. They need approximately 12" by 12".

4) Not really. Ducks are pretty much weather proof. They do appreciate a wind-break though. Hay bales will work fine for this if properly oriented, or a small dog house with a hay bale positioned to keep out drafts. Mostly they'll prefer to be outdoors except in the bitterest of weather.

5) Good luck and enjoy!!

 

[PerpetualLearner]

Thanks so much for the info.