Duck killing chickens ???

[RainbowHen]

I have successfully raised ducks and chickens together BUT 1) my run and coop were massive, 2) I had a 1 to 8 drake/hen ratio, and 3) my roosters and drakes had a healthy respect for each other and their respective harems. Apart from meeting ALL of these conditions I would never attempt it. Much easier to have all hens or just keep them separate. Hard lesson learned. Best of luck.

 

[ThinMintTheChicken]

Jeez, I didn't know that a drake would do this! Our drake, Po, has 5 duck hens so I hope he won't try to sit on the hens. Btw, our male geese sit on the ducks all the time is there such thing as a duck/goose hybrid? Tbh, i hoped that Po would be more protective of his ducks. I guess not, lol

 

[21hens-incharge]

Jeez, I didn't know that a drake would do this! Our drake, Po, has 5 duck hens so I hope he won't try to sit on the hens. Btw, our male geese sit on the ducks all the time is there such thing as a duck/goose hybrid? Tbh, i hoped that Po would be more protective of his ducks. I guess not, lol

If you have males it is best for everyone if you separate by species.
Drakes with ducks, roosters with hens, ganders with geese.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have 2 Runner drakes an a Muscovy drake plus females and haven’t ever had one of my drakes try and breed with a chicken hen. I think giving the drakes as many females as you can is the key. 1-5 is most likely enough to keep him busy. Always best to observe at first introductions. And having ample space. My birds are not confined to a run. That is most likely where separation would be needed.

 

[ThinMintTheChicken]

If you have males it is best for everyone if you separate by species.
Drakes with ducks, roosters with hens, ganders with geese.

We free-range everybody. The chickens usually stay together. Our turkeys go and wander around with a guinea (we can't separate the guinea because it loves the turkeys so much). And the water fowl stay together. We only have 2 geese and both were unfortunately ganders. We are hoping that the geese will eventually mellow out as breeding season ends and as they get older. They were raised with the ducks so they probably think of themselves as ducks. We may get female geese later on when it gets warmer.

 

[21hens-incharge]

As Miss Lydia points out having enough females for the males helps. Having ample space helps too.

The issue with drakes that mount chickens is drakes have a penis. Roosters do not. Chickens were not built for that kind of breeding. It can seriously injure or kill chickens.

With geese mounting ducks I think the concern is size.

It may be best to plan on a potential need to segregate and have pens ready just in case.

 

[ThinMintTheChicken]

Okay. Thank you. The geese don't seem to be hurting the ducks and we usually shoo them off anyways