Ducks and Chickens

Goody95

In the Brooder
Sep 28, 2022
10
23
31
So i have 3 isobrown hens, 2 lavender orpington, and 2 pekin ducks….
All of my isobrowns started laying in there boxes, then the ducks started to lay. Now my isobrowns refuse to lay in there boxes…. They lay in a corner with the ducks. So the eggs get messy and cracked…. Anyway i have 3 5gal bucket nesting boxes, i blocked the corner with plywood so they wont be able to get back there, they layed right next to the corner… how do i remedy this? I really dont want my orpingtons laying there aswell.
The red circle is where they lay….
TIA God bless
 

Attachments

  • DA27EB53-7F8C-4315-9B31-FF0CA8820787.jpeg
    DA27EB53-7F8C-4315-9B31-FF0CA8820787.jpeg
    782.2 KB · Views: 8
  • A73393D5-2076-4668-AFDB-C2F183BF98D4.jpeg
    A73393D5-2076-4668-AFDB-C2F183BF98D4.jpeg
    742.3 KB · Views: 5
As a general rule, best not to have ducks and chickens in the same space. LOTS of reasons for that, which is why its a general rule. I won't go into them here, in the assumption you are already aware and choose to take those risks.

Fake eggs are helpful in encouraging chickens to go where they are supposed to, but certainly no guarantee. Once a duck starts laying, its nest is "fair game" for your chickens to join in. A soft substrate helps protect against cracked shells. Last year, I had a few birds start laying on a hay cube, then other's joined in. I didn't really think anything of it, as I was getting more eggs than I needed anyways. Long story short, the broody birds eventiually abandoned the hay nest (likey due to tree rats), and I counted 77 , yes SEVENTY SEVEN!, eggs in the hollow that three birds had sat. None viable.

As a seperate matter, having nesting boxes higher than the roosting bar (assuming that's what it is) will encourage roosting in the nesting boxes. no bueno. Also, chickens can carry some things you don't want, which can be passed to ducks through their poops. Having a bar in such a location that roosting chickens an drop waste on the duck nest is also no good.

Recommend locating a slanted board, a log, something there to encourage the ducks to nest elsewhere.
 
So i am not aware of the issues of ducks and chickens together, that being said i can relocate the nests lower and raise the roosting bars. But please tell me the issues of having them together
 
Loosely, there are four sets of concerns.

1) Ducks and chickens are capable of transmitting illness and parasites back and forth, with some species being essentially asymptomatic, while the other is potentially severe to life threatening. The various Avian Influenza strains, for example, are much less obvious in waterfowl like ducks, who serve as a natural reservior for it, than chickens for whom it can be quite leathal.
2) Chickens benefit from a dry environment, and ducks are anything but with their spaces and their feeding methods - I'm sure you've noticed the "duck dab" as they submerge their beaks in water both to clear nostrils and assist their eating - often followed by a vigourous head shake. In addition to making a sodden mess, it rapidly fouls the drinking water (and see disease, above).
3) Male drakes can be "randy". and they are not kind. A male drake can and will chase a female hen if no other "partners" are closer. The male sex organ of a duck is absolutely NOT designed for chickens. Those meetings frequently result in injury, and can be fatal.*
*I've not had this experience, but it has been repeated by a number of poster's whoseexperience and opinion I have found to be trustworthy in other regards. I HAVE had male drakes chase my hens in an apparent effort to mate, in spite of having six or eight female ducks nearby. They simply haven't been able to catch them - but my hens have the run of acres, the two species are never enclosed together in a space smaller than that.
4) if you incubate or have broodies, ducks are ungainly and very large. I've had very young Pekins (only a couple weeks in age) crush hatchling chicks only a week or two younger in their effort to get at food, flee a percieved predator (me), etc. Its one of the worst feelings as a new BYCer I've experienced, to know I allowed that to happen in my ignorance.

Hope that helps
 
Loosely, there are four sets of concerns.

1) Ducks and chickens are capable of transmitting illness and parasites back and forth, with some species being essentially asymptomatic, while the other is potentially severe to life threatening. The various Avian Influenza strains, for example, are much less obvious in waterfowl like ducks, who serve as a natural reservior for it, than chickens for whom it can be quite leathal.
2) Chickens benefit from a dry environment, and ducks are anything but with their spaces and their feeding methods - I'm sure you've noticed the "duck dab" as they submerge their beaks in water both to clear nostrils and assist their eating - often followed by a vigourous head shake. In addition to making a sodden mess, it rapidly fouls the drinking water (and see disease, above).
3) Male drakes can be "randy". and they are not kind. A male drake can and will chase a female hen if no other "partners" are closer. The male sex organ of a duck is absolutely NOT designed for chickens. Those meetings frequently result in injury, and can be fatal.*
*I've not had this experience, but it has been repeated by a number of poster's whoseexperience and opinion I have found to be trustworthy in other regards. I HAVE had male drakes chase my hens in an apparent effort to mate, in spite of having six or eight female ducks nearby. They simply haven't been able to catch them - but my hens have the run of acres, the two species are never enclosed together in a space smaller than that.
4) if you incubate or have broodies, ducks are ungainly and very large. I've had very young Pekins (only a couple weeks in age) crush hatchling chicks only a week or two younger in their effort to get at food, flee a percieved predator (me), etc. Its one of the worst feelings as a new BYCer I've experienced, to know I allowed that to happen in my ignorance.

Hope that helps
Thank you for the insight! I’ll definitely have to take these into consideration!
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom