Ducks and Chickens....

[Rooroo]

Hi All...
Im thinking of getting a couple of some kind of full gown Ducks in the spring...
Can I put them with the girls (6) and one Roo/Elvis together..? The coop is 8' x 12' and the run is approx 12' x 30. I think there would be enough room for them all...I would put in a small pond/pool for them to play in and what ever else the ducks would need....
Would it work..?

 

[Hobbley_Farm]

I'm glad you asked that. I've been kicking around the ideal of this also. But every time I mention it to my mother she talks about how MESSY ducks are. And I have flash backs to childhood when we lived on a pond with Canadian geese. The yard was slick with poo. Couldn't run around safely because you would slip. The Idea of our chickens being all muddy with chicken and duck poo isn't exciting. The chicken poo is bad enough!

 

[xke4]

Ducks are extremely messy. The side of my pen that they are in is always a muddy mess. Have tried pea gravel, small wood chips, sand, stall-dry, wood horse bedding, straw.......but if you are on clay, be forewarned. I cannot let my silkies near my full grown ducks ( even my Pekin drake) or the silkies will attack. They are fine when everyone is out on the lawn free-ranging, but confined...no. Oh....and ducks are extremely messy, did I mention that?

 

[Dottie Pratt]

I agree ducks are messy!!!!

I have 5 ducks 6 guineas 1 rooster and 2 hens in the same coop.

They do fine!!!!

Kid pool out in the fenced part of the run. They love it togther.
Small water pan in the coop. Stays pretty dry.

 

[Rooroo]

Thanks for the info xke4.... I think Im going to pass on that idea....

 

[toletiquesbysam]

I was thinking of getting a couple ducks when we order our pullets in the spring. Out back of our acreage there are 2 "run off" ponds on the neighbors farm land (beans) and I'm wondering if the ducks would see that and go there it's about 150-200feet from our land or would they just stay in our area if I let them free range? My coop is 8 x 16 and thought I'd divide off a small area for the ducks alone vs letting them coop with the chickens. Let me know if I'm completely off in this, I don't want them going to the farmers pond and it being an issue with the farmer.

 

[swampducks]

I am discovering that my muscovies are much less messy than my regular mallard type ducks. They don't bother climbing into water dishes to bathe and don't muddy them up as quickly swishing around the food stuffed in their bills. Their poo seems drier too. I have no idea if this is just an aberration or normal for 'scovies.