Hello :-)

[queen Grace]

We have a cattery and a flock of 17 chickens including 3 babies born here 7 weeks ago 2 lovely mummies sitting on clutches and a beautiful Lincolnshire Buff Cockerel called Clifford and led by 8 year old Grace a black rock who takes no nonsense from anybody least of all me !!! :-D they all live happily in a nice stone barn with Doris, our natural pest controller (aka very friendly barn cat)
I have a question (hope its ok to ask here) A friend has offered us one duckling who has lost its siblings. Will it cope with an established flock of hens and Clifford Cockerel? Where do I start ? We have a pond and apparently the duck is used to water. Can anyone help Thanks in advance xx

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. The established flock will regard the duckling as an intruder and may make its life miserable. If you give it a try, keep an eye on things. Chicken society can be brutal.

 

[Cynthia12]

Here is a thread that is older, but these folks have experienced ducks and chickens together. I was at a friends house last week that had both. I had brought over a rooster..the ducks went right after that new boy. What?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/47178/newbie-with-duck-and-chicken-questions/10

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[drumstick diva]

If the duckling survives your chickens - and morphs into a drake, his hormones will have him lusting after your hens. Ducks have very different anatomy than chickens, and if he attempts to breed them he will either damage or kill them. Enough reason not to take this duckling. It would also be much happier with a duck companion, so then you'd have to have two and so on. It's up to you.

 

[nj2wv]

welcome to BYC !!

 

[queen Grace]

Hello everyone thanks for the welcome and forall the very kind advice. I pretty much thought what most of you have said (especially the bit about what a Drake might get up to!) Luckily the lady realised that it might not end very well and found a more suitable home for him so I didn't have to offend her. Panic over! Would love to have some ducks and geese at some point though. Perhaps there would be safety in numbers. Difficult to guarantee gender like chickens I guess... (as much as we love him we never really intended to have Clifford - he started life as Sheba! Lol Trans hen ;-) ) xxx