Ducks and chickens?

[ARK2016]

Hello everyone,
I'm new here and will be starting a farm in a few weeks.
I'm planning on keeping our three Muscovy ducks in the same pen as our chickens ( temperament depending) so my question is this-
Does anyone know if ducks will use the same type of nipple waterer that chickens will? Is it compatible with their beaks?
Food wise, is there any way to keep them to their own feed or is everyone just going to eat each others food?

This may be a temporary housing situation, but we've got a lot of work to get done building all of the different animal enclosures before winter sets in so even if we end up doing a separate enclosure for the ducks it probably won't be for a month or two.

Any advice from people who keep them together? Tips?
TIA

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

I'm just warning you:if you out chickens and ducks together in the house with water, the hay WILL get wet.but yes, you can keep them with each other.but the nipple waterers?i don't think so.maybe try @Amiga she has ducks and she will know what to do.

 

[ad26]

Ducks can use poultry nipples; but they'll need to be able to submerge their heads in water somewhere else so they can keep their eyes clean. Ducks without any source of open water develop crusty eyes and nostrils and sad-looking feathers. Chickens do not like the wet mess made by ducks.

 

[Amiga]

Hello everyone,
I'm new here and will be starting a farm in a few weeks.
I'm planning on keeping our three Muscovy ducks in the same pen as our chickens ( temperament depending) so my question is this-
Does anyone know if ducks will use the same type of nipple waterer that chickens will? Is it compatible with their beaks?
Food wise, is there any way to keep them to their own feed or is everyone just going to eat each others food?

This may be a temporary housing situation, but we've got a lot of work to get done building all of the different animal enclosures before winter sets in so even if we end up doing a separate enclosure for the ducks it probably won't be for a month or two.

Any advice from people who keep them together? Tips?
TIA

Welcome! I am so thrilled for you!!!!

Ducks technically can use nipple waterers, sometimes, if trained, and they want to.

At the same time, ducks must be able to frequently rinse their heads off with water. As waterfowl, it is part of their nature to need access to water. If they do not have that access, then you can expect eye, ear, sinus, and eventually possible respiratory infections.

 

[ARK2016]

Okay that's good to know. Thank you for your replies!
I'm wondering if a heated water bowl outside of the coop would be sufficient for the ducks? Deep enough? The bowls I got for the rabbits are 1.5L heated bowls, pretty sure I can get a few more if that would work for them.

If not any ideas on how to keep a water source for the ducks from freezing in cold winters?

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

Okay that's good to know. Thank you for your replies!
I'm wondering if a heated water bowl outside of the coop would be sufficient for the ducks? Deep enough? The bowls I got for the rabbits are 1.5L heated bowls, pretty sure I can get a few more if that would work for them.

If not any ideas on how to keep a water source for the ducks from freezing in cold winters?

I think I heated water bowl would work just fine.

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

When my water was frozen, i would take bucket of hot water to the hen house, empty the frozen water and put in the hot water.it made it stay un-frozen longer.

 

[Amiga]

Okay that's good to know. Thank you for your replies!
I'm wondering if a heated water bowl outside of the coop would be sufficient for the ducks? Deep enough? The bowls I got for the rabbits are 1.5L heated bowls, pretty sure I can get a few more if that would work for them.

If not any ideas on how to keep a water source for the ducks from freezing in cold winters?

Makes sense. For overnight, for winter time, something deep enough to dunk their heads in. I am thinking five inches deep, Muscovies are big ducks. For daytime, milder weather, a concrete mixing pan or small livestock water trough work well - they don't use much water compared to a larger kiddie pool and are pretty easy to dump, rinse and refill for most people.

 

[jools2014]

Hi there. When I first got ducks and chickens our local farm shop said they did not recommend we keep them together, he said people do, but we don't recommend it due to the mess the ducks make etc. I decided to do it anyway knowing if there were problems we could separate them. When I only had 2 ducks and a few chickens everything was great, I now have 5 ducks and man are they messy! You can keep them together, but yes ducks will make a mess of the sawdust/straw. All my birds get along ok the hens will sit on top of chairs and the ducks will be sat right underneath the chairs so they must like each other! And yes they will all just eat each others food-in fact when I had my ducklings I had my adult hens trying to eat their food!

 

[ARK2016]

That's good to hear.
We'll probably be separating them come spring but if I can get away with housing them with the chickens until then it'll cut out a lot of work!