Ducks and Chickens Together

[ChibiandSpike]

Hi, we just got two baby ducks and we do not know the gender. We also have 6 chickens all female, and we are scared that one of our ducks is a male. If this is the case will they be a threat to our 6 chickens?

 

[chkva]

I'd like to know the answer as well for future reference

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi, we just got two baby ducks and we do not know the gender. We also have 6 chickens all female, and we are scared that one of our ducks is a male. If this is the case will they be a threat to our 6 chickens?

If you have a drake then yes he can pose a threat to your hens because they are very hormonal. They are still tiny so don't fret over it too much now but have a plan in place in case .Separate pen and coop and more females because one drake to one female can really play havoc on her they want to mate a lot.

 

[Jbently28]

I have chickens and ducks as well. The problem you have with drakes is that at about a year old they will sexually imprint. They typically sexually imprint on someone who resembles their mother. We got our drake when he was just a week old and raised him and our other WH duck that we got at the same time as him and with our chickens. He imprinted on one of our buff orpington chickens very early on and looked to her as mama. Fast forward a year later and we acquired a couple of year old buff orpinton hens from our neighbor. Well long story short...he has sexually imprinted on one of them. We had to separate him from our chickens out of fear that he would hurt her. To this day, he will pace back and forth quacking up a storm every time she is within his eyesight. I purchased 6 more ducklings this year in hopes of giving him more females to help with his behavior.

 

[Miss Lydia]

 

[ChibiandSpike]

If you have a drake then yes he can pose a threat to your hens because they are very hormonal. They are still tiny so don't fret over it too much now but have a plan in place in case .Separate pen and coop and more females because one drake to one female can really play havoc on her they want to mate a lot.

Okay, thank you! We are really hoping they are both females

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hope so too! Keep us updated!