ducks and chickens together

[rlan8]

My ducks are pulling the chickens feathers out. Any advice other than building a new home for ducks? Has anyone had this problem when keeping them together.?This just started about a month ago. Before that everything was fine.

 

[cristy17]

I also started having this problem about a month ago. This is the second winter I've had my ducks and chickens together. Since the ducks - I have 3 - a magpie, cayuga, and their 1 offspring - started picking on the chickens, I'm afraid that they could damage if not kill a hen. They don't pick on the roosters, just chase them around. Since I don't have the option of separating, what do I do?

 

[rhoda_bruce]

how many ducks and how many drakes? You can keep things to about 1:5. How much space per bird?

 

[txredneckmedic]

I would change them to a new pen. My ducks kept pooing in the water dish and got the chickens sick. Got rid of the ducks and the chickens are fine now

 

[rlan8]

I have 2 peking ducks and 3 hens. They are cramped during the winter. About 3 square feet per bird. I let them free range when it is warmer. We have about 2 feet of snow right now. So they do not get out. The chickens stay in the coop at night and the ducks have their own house. they share the run during the day.

 

[scooter147]

I have a drake and a duck in with my chickens. I have to keep the drake seperate from the chickens, the duck does just fine. The drake is the horniest creature I have ever come across. If given the opportunity he would run my hens to death and himself too I think. At night he has to go into a dog cage (I only have one coop and when these ducks die no more) and during the day the drake and duck go into the chicken run if the chickens get to free range or the ducks free range if the chickens are confined to their run.

 

[Kittymomma]

I only have two (one drake, one duck) in with about 25 chickens and am still having some problems. The duck is more protective of *her* space then the hens, and as others have mentioned the drake wants the whole flock for his harem. I put a couple of old wooden saw horses into the run so the chooks can get away and it seems to be working out pretty well, not sure if it would work if I had a bunch of ducks though.

 

[TrystInn]

I let our fifteen ducks free range, as do the chickens, in 1/2 acre fenced. At night, I separate them into individual pens, though.

 

[jbear]

mine free range together in a large fenced area, but separate enclosures at night. They pick on each other equally it seems.. but everyone has room to get away from each other as necessary... I think that's probably key to keeping them together-- a lot of room, and a lot of water available.. the chicken water is up out of reach of the ducks--and the ducks have their "ponds" {just rubbermaid under bed boxes, and one of the kids plastic sleds!

} the chickens still seem to like to drink out of the "ponds" though, so I just try to keep those clean as possible. so far everything has been ok, and they have all been together for about 8 months now.

 

[Kung Foo Chicken]

I have three female ducks with my main flock. Other than chasing the rooster around
trying to get him to mate with them by biting at his ankles and trying walk under him there isn't
much of a problem. I'm sure he thinks they are ugly women or something the way he ignores them.