Ducks in the chicken coop

[RileyB]

Does anyone keep their ducks and their chickens together in one coop? I have 7 week old chicks, and three ducks between 2-4 weeks of age. I want to keep them all together, but the ducks keep getting the water from the waterer all over the place. How do people avoid this?

 

[FireTigeris]

I do-

I have kiddo pools and I exclude baby chicks because of possible drowning...

They do make water mucky.

 

[mnferalkitty]

I do I keep 18 ducks with my chickens. I keep the waterer in the run not in the coop problem solved

Everyone goes to bed in the coop around 7-8 no water no food in coop. I let them out in AM around 9-10.

 

[NorCalFarmerJ]

Ducks love to "dabble" and seem to enjoy playing with their water. I keep my ducks and chickens together and they do not make very good pen mates. The chickens keep scratching the nest material out of the ducks nests and the ducks muck up the water instantly. I would suggest separate pens, as that is what I am about to do.

 

[FireTigeris]

Everyone uses the same nest boxes here, in the back part of the coop

 

[callahanfarmgirl]

I keep my 7 chickens & 4 ducks together & I use a little giant waterer. The ducks still manage to get the water muddy but mine all free range from dawn to dusk & have other water sources in the yard. My only thought on your situation would be to put a water nippler in for the chickens & keep your existing water source for the ducks.

 

[RileyB]

Do you find that the flooring materials (shavings, etc) get too wet and spread diseases to the chickens?

 

[FireTigeris]

I have wood and vinyl as flooring, I also use sand sometimes, I don't have problems with that, the aspen shavings in the coop stay dry- well except for the tropical strom that just slammed us...

 

[callahanfarmgirl]

Do you find that the flooring materials (shavings, etc) get too wet and spread diseases to the chickensI

I only have dirt on the floor of coop. About once or twice a week I go in the coop & rake out poop & rake some dry dirt under little giant water. Because the waterer is not very big the wet mess is only under the waterer. I have never had a problem with disease or mold. I am in FL so I also have a fan on the wall hooked up with a thermostat to help cool & dry the coop when neccessary.