Duck questions. Thinking of getting 2

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bmanty

bmanty

Songster
7 Years
Mar 27, 2017
83
152
146
Fergus Falls MN
Hello Everyone,

I am interested in raising two ducks this spring. I have a coop of 12 chickens (all hens). Does anyone here integrate the two, do they all get along or is there issues? Can they all live in the same area together? Do ducks typically bully chickens or vice versa or not at all?

I do not have access to pond or rivers so will a childs pool in the yard work for them in Spring and Summer? I assume Winter they have to do without any swimming for a while right?

Would it be recommended to get two males or two females. (do not know what would work best with my hen chickens) I do not have the time to hatch babies, etc and do not have the space for more to run around(hence no roosters with my hens). I think they should be able to use the chicken nesting boxes to lay eggs and do they need like a boxed area to sleep in since they do not roost?



Which breed would be best for pet/eggs.

Thanks for the feedback everyone!
 
It's hit or miss whether or not they will be able to live with your chickens. Have a plan B in place in case it doesn't work out.

Your best bet for the safety of all involved will be two female ducks.

Ducks sleep and nest down low on the ground/floor, so if there's a box in the corner they may choose to lay there. I don't know what your coop is like, but ideally they should have a spot that is not directly below the chickens' roost, or at least sheltered from the nightly chicken droppings. Also be sure the door to the coop is big enough for your ducks and navigating a steep ramp into the house is not required.

A small pool with frequent water changes will work. Even in winter it's good if they can bathe once in awhile.
 
Hi!

Good call on getting two ducks! They enjoy other ducks' company.
I have 8 hens, and I keep 2 Pekin drakes with them. They all get along fine. The drakes will push the hens out of the way during feeding time, but the hens really don't seem to care, and no one has ever gotten hurt. As long as ducks are raised along with the chickens, they should be more ok with them.

A kiddie pool will be just fine for them! That's what I use, and they love it. But yes, in the winter, the pool has to go bye-bye for a while lol. Unless you want to have to dump ice out a bunch. That's pretty much up to you.

As for genders, I think either gender would be fine honestly. So long as you raise them as ducklings around the chickens, they should be fine with them. Hens may be a safer option for you though, as drakes can be aggressive towards you sometimes if they're all hormonal. Mine have never done that, so it all depends on the particular duck.

For breeds, I've only ever had Rouen, Pekin, Mallard, and Gray Call ducks. The Rouens and Pekins were by far the most friendly in my opinion. Eggs...I honestly don't recall how many eggs all of those ducks laid lol. But make sure you do your research on breeds before making a decision.
 
bmanty said:
Hello Everyone,

I am interested in raising two ducks this spring. I have a coop of 12 chickens (all hens). Does anyone here integrate the two, do they all get along or is there issues? Can they all live in the same area together? Do ducks typically bully chickens or vice versa or not at all?

I do not have access to pond or rivers so will a childs pool in the yard work for them in Spring and Summer? I assume Winter they have to do without any swimming for a while right?

Would it be recommended to get two males or two females. (do not know what would work best with my hen chickens) I do not have the time to hatch babies, etc and do not have the space for more to run around(hence no roosters with my hens). I think they should be able to use the chicken nesting boxes to lay eggs and do they need like a boxed area to sleep in since they do not roost?



Which breed would be best for pet/eggs.

Thanks for the feedback everyone!
Click to expand...
I have 28 ducks(2 drakes, 26 hens) living quite peacefully with 21 chickens(all hens). However, a few things must be taken into account.

1. Water: The duckies are going to make a mess of their water very quickly, however, they are hardwired to handle all the mud and dirt; chickens are not, therefore, a separate source of water that the ducks can't get to is recommended so the chickens have access to clean water to drink.(however, your ducks pool/pond will need to be cleaned periodically as well.)

2. Space: How much space are you working with as in run/coop space? Which duck breeds are you considering? This must be taken into account as some breeds, such as runners, do better with a more free-range type environment. This area also includes coop arrangements: as ducks sleep on the coop floor and chickens roost, I recommend putting a tray filled with sand underneath the perches so the ducks won't get pooped on, and the tray can easily be scooped out like a cat box.

3. Drakes: Unless male ducks that are prone to a more mellow nature are acquired, I highly recommend getting two females. This is nothing against the boys, they can't help instinct, but they may attempt to mount your chickens, and, in the process, injure them. (If you want to get a male and female, I would recommend one of the bantam breeds such as calls or Black East Indies, although, these can be difficult to find as sexed ducklings, unless purchased as adults.)

4. Feeding: If you do end up getting a drake, small amounts of all flock feed would need to be added to the layer pellets in order to accommodate him. (This would also apply if you had a rooster.)

If you have any other questions feel free to ask. :)
 
Funny, i have your situation in reverse for this spring. I currently have pekin ducks and am going to be getting, and integrating chicks. So i can tell you what i know which is everyone seems to say if you integrate them young amd your male to female ratio is good then generally youll be fine . I do not have a river or pool but i do provide one of those big plastic kiddie pools for them and they love it.. A duck who has access to lots of water is a happy duck! Be prepared to clean the pool frequently as they do make a poopy mess out of it . I live in a cold state so when its below freezing they only get their drinking water .Today it warmed up to 40 degrees so theyve been having a ball in their pool all day today.
Ive heard you may want to keep separate coops for chickens and ducks and having ducks before chickens i can understand why. Even from a small drinking dish the ducks make a splash party. So keep that in the back of your mind as well!

Hopefully this helps :)
 
bmanty said:
Thanks everyone. Right now I give my hens chicken layer feed. Would I have to switch to an all flock style of feed if I did get two duckies?

Thanks
Click to expand...
Layer feed should still be the base of your flocks diet necessities since you have more chickens, and if you get two female ducks(I highly recommend this) you would not need to add all flock at all.
 

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