Could I keep my baby ducksnchicks together?

[pringle]

Ok so Im ordering from IDEAL,getting 5 ducks,4 mallards and a pekin.Im alos getting 2 chicks 1 cochin and an ameracouna.My feed store sells a feed thats made for both animals,iv been using it for a while now and I think its great.Ill have a small waterer too so the ducks cant splash around much.Can I keep these to animals in the same brooder?

 

[chickensioux]

Yes you can but you have to keep in mind that ducks, no matter what, are very messy. Everything needs to be kept fairly dry for the health of the chicks. Some people have used milk jugs with a small hole (just big enough for them to stick their head thru) close to the bottom of the jug. This seems to help with the duckies being too messy. Also duck poop is alot more sloppy than chick poop. As long as you are diligent with the cleaning it should be fine. Also, ducks cannot have "medicated" feed.
Have fun. I'm jealous.

 

[becky3086]

Ducks can have medicated feed, it just has to be the right kind and most chick starter these days uses the right kind of medication that the ducks can have.

 

[Weewanona]

Unless you plan on being EXTREMELY diligent (as in every hour) about removing wet papertowels/newspapers/shavings - no.

Trust me - you have no idea how MESSY and STINKY ducklings are. Your chicks will quickly become chilled (and can die) if exposed to the wet mess of ducklings constantly.

 

[ella]

I agree it's not a great idea. Ducks are unbelievably messy, I remember lugging out gallons of dirty water and shavings every day, and I only had two ducklings!

I had a regular Little Giant 1 gallon waterer. They suck up the water and shoot it out the back of their beaks so it doesn't matter how little your waterer is, they will get it everywhere.

Plus they grow so fast they'll be bulldozing over the chicks in a week. The chicks and ducks will both be happier if they are seperate.

 

[pringle]

Trust me guys I have owned ducks.They were pekins and you know how more messy they are then any other duck.I think ill make the brooder kinda big so the water doesnt get everywere.I think I might put wire around the area with the waterer so exess water just drips down into a pan or somthin.I know not to give medicated feed.