ducks in chicken coop

[atr04screw]

I have 5 6 week old chicks, and was wondering if it is ok to let ducks live in the coop and run with the chickens? Also, when do I need to introduce the ducks? I have some friends who have ducks in their yards with the chickens, and they seem to get along fine, so I would think they would be fine in a coop and run. Also, do ducks roost like chickens? Or will they sleep on the ground? Thanks in advance!

 

[Countrypunk92]

Ducks are completely messy.. cant keep shavings in there or they spoil quivkly, which leads to diseases for.the chickens.. i tried it with no luck, they eat everything and are so wet its unbelievable, I tool them to my pond and let them free.. much happier and so am I.. and the chickens.

 

[Countrypunk92]

Quote:
Ducks sleep on ground. They are made to swim, not get away from predeters, they also like to be out at night time. So watch out. Lol

 

[gypsymoonfarm]

I did it for a while but it was too gross. Chickens hate being wet (at least mine did) and ducks are always wet. They fouled the drinking water as soon as I put it it the pen. They couldn't figure out how to go up the ramp. I lost patience and moved them. The pen was much nicer afterwards.

 

[Stoney22]

I do it and have no problems at all, but I clean my coop every Saturday. I also have a one hundred and forty plus foot hose so changing the drinking water freauently is not a problem. Also the ducks sleep under the nest boxes and my roost poles are on the other side so the chickens don't poop on the ducks.

 

[muscolorp]

Our ducks are doing good in our chicken coop. It is about a medium sized coop (10x12 house with 12x24 run) but the ducks main source of water is outside and the chickens have a waterer inside that the ducks don't use very often. Water and messiness hasn't been a problem for us.

 

[atr04screw]

Maybe I will just keep them in the run section and keep them a water and food bowl out their. My coop is 4x10 with a bottom grassy level and a top level with an enclosed perch section, and a daytime perch section with wire around it and the laying box. I was only planning on getting 2 ducks so how much room would they need? I'm not sure the exact specs on my outside run section, but it is about 10x20.

 

[Kaitie09]

I have 2 Mallards in with my chickens and have seen no difference in the messiness. The water is kept outside at all times, so they do not get the pine shavings wet. Ours were put in the coop at 6 weeks and nobody blinked and eye at them. They now think they are chickens and sleep in the nesting boxes at night. They had a nest on the floor but once they could jump, they got in the chicken's boxes. I only clean the pine shavings out maybe once a month and even then, it is not any dirtier than when there were just chickens.

 

[Stoney22]

I use hay and change the hay on Saturdays. My coop is about nearly seven foot by four foot. My run is nearly thirty by thirty.I also let them free range a few hr a day but only well im home. I also leave the water outside at all times and shut and lock them. In at night....I wouldn't advise locking them outside the coop as predators will probably eventually figure out how to get them.

 

[ParagonPoultry]

I keep chickens, ducks, and guineas all in the same coop (24'x25'). Everyone gets along great. I even keep a water dish in the coop. Granted, the area around the water dish gets a little wet, but everyone co-habitates very well together! Day time free-ranging, and they all pretty well break off into their own groups by breed and age when I open the door. Only exception is my guineas think they're part of the duck flock...