Ducks and Chickens together

[Lydia]

I'm sure this question has been asked before but I'd like to know if chickens and ducks can live together if they're raised together? I'm thinking about ordering a couple of Cayuga pullets when I place my Ideal chick order, so I want to make sure I'm making a thoughtful decision about having them altogether. I understand that the ducks need water to swim in -and can be messier- while chickens don't and are a little cleaner. Can they share housing in the evening when it's time for bed if they're free ranging during the day? If not, what kind of housing do you have for your ducks?

Thanks-
Lydia

 

[paul65]

I had a pekin duck in with my chickens and they got along great she layed lots of eggs the only problem i had
was my coop had a ramp and the duck when she was young had a hard time getting up the ramp so i had to put her in at night but after about a month she learned how the get up the ramp no troubles they are messy
i had to put some plywood down and put the water on it or she would fill the water up with mud in no time flat.

 

[Paegglvr]

I'm curious to hear what other people say. I'm raising chickens and ducks this year for the first time. For the past few days I've had my chickens together with my 2 ducks (1 pekin and 1 cayuga) and they seem to be okay.

My run is a few hundred square feet so they have plenty of room to keep apart.

Don't make my mistake though and put water in for the ducks to swim.... because chickens can't!! I put a small kiddie pool in for the ducks and put cinder blocks in it, thinking that if the ducks were tired they could stand on the cinder blocks. One of my chicken flew into the pool and drowned...

 

[KLH2010]

I have a female mallard and five ducklings in with my chickens right now and they have been fine. The female is very protective of the ducklings (has been kind of nasty to me, actually) but is fine with the chickens so I don't anticipate any problems. They do get the water dirty but I have also noticed that my chickens will walk through it, too so I can't blame it all on the ducks.

 

[clay]

Ten chickens and five ducks, all share the same house (locked in at night, for their own safety, free-ranging the yard during the day). Chickens sleep on the roosts and ducks take over the floor. Chickens lay in the nest boxes and ducks lay in the nests they make in the bedding. Sometimes the ducks manage to get themselves up into the nest boxes, a couple of feet off the floor, but haven't laid any eggs there. Everyone gets along fine, and it stays pretty clean with the food and water OUTSIDE. Here, there is no question of them all living together, as they couldn't be seperated.

 

[jandmeg07]

Good to know! We have a pair of 14 day old ducklings and 4 day old chicks. We have them in separate brooders in the house right now, but are hoping they will share at least part of a space when we put them outside.

 

[Chick_in_Indiana]

I have mallards and runners w/ my hens and guineas. No problems at all.

 

[Black Feather]

This reminds me of a funny story at my old farm. I had chickens, 2 ducks, 2 guinea fowl, 3 peafowl and a dwarf bunny all living together. The ducks got along great with the chickens and guinea fowl, but the dwarf bunny hated them. He would chase them all over the place. The ducks on the other hand hated the peafowl and would chase them constantly...the solution, get rid of the ducks

Problem solved!

I currently have a pair of Black East Indies living with both chickens and turkeys and they get along fine.

Cheers,
Urban Coyote

 

[ronshoney]

I have 12 baby ducks that are the same age as my chicks and I couldn't imagine keeping them together. The ducks are horribly messy!!! I love them to death they are probably my favorite but they totally trash their area a couple times a day.
As for housing we are building dog house style it is in sections that will be put together behind our pond over all it will be 4'x12'. They say it doesn't need to be insulated or anything they are pretty hardy where as the chickens aren't. I know at 4 weeks mine don't go by the light very often, we are down to them sharing a light with the turkeys who are in the cage next to them and while the turkeys will sleep right under the light at night the ducks don't want anything to do with it.
So you could get by with a small dog house if you are going to only get a couple but I don't know if I would keep them together....... cause I was going to and quickly changed my mind.