Ducks and Chickens together?

[Nimby Chickens]

Is it possible to keep indian runner ducklings with chicks? I have the option of getting 2 month-old duckies for free but I need to know a couple things.

1. Will they get along okay - they are roughly the same size. What is the minimum amount of ducklings I can get?
2. Can the ducklings use the same feeders, waterers as chicks (nipple waterers)?
3. Do they NEED a pond or are they okay without one until I build a little pond in the spring?
4. I live in a neighborhood - are they loud? Can I get away with it?

Thanks for your advice in advance!

 

[Ariel301]

Chick starter won't work for ducklings. However, you can feed an all-purpose high protein poultry feed like Flock Raiser.

They don't need a pond, but they will make a mess of any water they can get ahold of. If you give them a swimming area in a small pen, they will turn the whole pen into a wet, stinky mud hole; not really a good place for your chickens! Ducks are also noisy.

 

[Nimby Chickens]

Quote:
Mine are all on flock raiser anyway, so no worries there. My chickens have a nipple waterer - will a duck use that? I'm not letting them have a pond near the coop - it would only be a free range swimming pond. Are they stinky? How noisy are we talking? Loud constant quacks? I thought they kind of had a whispery smaller type quack.

 

[jhamblin]

Quote:
Mine are all on flock raiser anyway, so no worries there. My chickens have a nipple waterer - will a duck use that? I'm not letting them have a pond near the coop - it would only be a free range swimming pond. Are they stinky? How noisy are we talking? Loud constant quacks? I thought they kind of had a whispery smaller type quack.

Males are quiet, Females are Loud

 

[Kevin565]

Quote:

 

[Josie360]

Muscovy ducks are relatively quiet...they don't quack...they mostly just hiss really. Any other breed of duck quacks...a lot. Ducks will use the nipple waterers, but it is really better for them if they can get their whole head wet when they drink to help flush out their sinuses. Ducks are messy, but funny and worth it to me

They are dabblers...eat some food, dunk it in water, eat some more...back to the water...play in the dirt...dunk it in the water...make mud..etc..etc.

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

I strongly recommend raising chicks and ducklings separately. Month-old ducklings should be fully feathered, and won't require supplemental heat. And spilled water = mess, runny duck poop = mess, webbed feet compacting the litter instead of fluffing it out = mess.

 

[ssellis]

I have Ducks and chickens together in one coop, they grew up together. The onlytme ducks quack is when they are out of food

 

[JP101010]

As soon as my two ducks , a pekin male and campbell khaki female , were old enough to start mating the male would do a wwe wrestling move on the chickens that we call "the shovelhead wing chopper" He would put his bill to the ground run at high speeds towards the chickens and grab their wings and try to fling them around. This is a crested pekin who was raised with these chickens from day 1. After we noticed it , we seperated an area just for the ducks using an Xpen. It worked out really well - the ducks have peace and are less stressed , and the chickens dont accidently drown in the kiddie pool or have to enter the witness protection program

prior to adopting the female my male pekin was obsessed with our RIR miss red and would physically assault her in an attempt to mate her, because he was the only duck

So yes they can go together but will probably need seperate living quarters if keeping male and female ducks.
at night if we tried to keep the ducks and chickens together , the chickens would prob drown in duck poop ! we have a seperate dog house within the chickens barn.
And both mine get noisy everyday.

 

[tinydancer87]

Baby ducks grow alot faster than baby chicks. I currently have 3 day old cayuga babies in with my 3 week old bantam chicks, and they are the same size. It won't be too much longer before I have to separate them. The ducks mess the water up, I have to change it nearly constantly.

I have adult runner ducks living with my chickens, have not had any problems. The ducks do make a muddy mess but my run is large enough the chickens have a dry area to use. 2 month old ducks should be able to live outside with adult chickens.