Does this sound good to you?

[chickenboy7c2d]

So, I'm thinking of getting another flock. What I ideally want is 3 runner ducks, 1 runner drake, 1 maran hen, 2 araucana hens, 1 black leghorn, 2 silkie hens. Do you think that these breeds will get on? Will any of them lay through winter? Do any get broody? Will the drake try to breed with the chickens?

 

[chickenboy7c2d]

Anyone??

 

[chickenboy7c2d]

Anyone???

 

[lovinlife]

I've heard of people keeping ducks and chickens together, but I don't have any experience with it.

Egg production will go down in winter, but shouldn't stop. Where you live impacts production also (winter temps).

 

[chickenboy7c2d]

I live in England, cold winters and sometimes snow

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

The ducks make a huge mess. I really wouldn't recommend housing them together since the ducks will keep it damp and moist, which is bad news for the chickens.

 

[chics in the sun]

If you are concerned about laying/ production, I would get more Leghorns and less Silkies and Araucana's. Araucana's are a South American breed, and although I don't have any myself, they are not know for their productivity and I imagine a cold English winter would not improve it. Just my theory. Marans are good cold-weather birds, and so far mine is laying almost daily, but I live in Florida.

 

[FiveHens]

Putting lights in their coop(s) will keep at least the chickens laying through the winter (giving 14 hours/day of light). I have no experience with ducks, but I expect they would work along the same lines. I do not know if the drake will try to breed the chickens..I'm thinking probably not.

 

[abhaya]

The leghorns will lay all year the silkies get broody often I dont know much about the rest

 

[pringle]

I guess it will be ok to have them in a coop together as long as its big becouse ducks are very messy. It might be a little trouble with the silkies becouse there soft feathers really like to pick up stuff like that and you may need to clean them often.Just make sure you dont raise the ducks and chicks together becouse I have tried that before and it was a huge mess the ducks splash everything everywere getting the chicks extremly dirty.