Help! first time duck owner! need advice and tips!

[Ming Ming]

I just saved 3 white Pekin ducklings from being snake food from Craig's list and I want to keep all three. I currently have a mixed-flock of 1 buff,2 blue, and 1 white silkie hens, a white crested black polish hen, 1 golden laced polish roo, 1 buff Orpington hen and a mottled Cochin hen in an 8x4 run with a 4x5 coop that free range in the back yard. I want to keep the ducks separate. Please help!

 

[Kiki]

What do you need help with?

 

[Ming Ming]

I just wanted advice on duck keeping, tips, and opinions. So nothing quite specific

 

[BaJa]

put them under a heat lamp with non-medicated duck starter. make sure they always have water

 

[Kiki]

You might want to start reading here:

• Introduction to Keeping Ducks
• How To Raise Ducks For Meat, Eggs, Companions
• Incubating & Hatching Muscovy Eggs
• Raising Ducklings To Ducks
• Duckling Care & Brooder Ideas
• Duckling Care and the Ancona Breed

• Keeping Muscovy Ducks
• Common Muscovy Health Problems
• Foot and Leg Problems in Waterfowl - Niacin Deficiency
• Ducks in the Garden
• The Process of Raising Waterfowl: Selection, Incubation, Brooding, and Sexing
• Waterfowl Housing – Coop & Run Designs & Plans For Ducks, Geese, Etc.

And when you find a specific question come back here and post it.

 

[Abriana]

Just in case you think you have to keep them separate, you don't have to. Ducks and chickens can co-exist happily together, and ducks do not carry any sicknessess that might pass onto your chickens. Ducks do not get sick as easily as chickens. In fact, they rarely get sick at all. Their body temperatures are much higher than chickens' and bacteria often cannot survive in ducks. They do need a pool, but the chickens will probably not try to get in or drown.
You can keep them separate, if you want to, but that will be much more expensive than keeping them with your chickens. Ducks also need brewers yeast, you can buy it on amazon. They can eat chicken layer, duck feed can be hard to find.
I am getting ducks myself (blue swedish) and cannot wait! I have read up a lot on ducks, but don't know really much more that I could say to help you. I will tag some people who can probably help more.
@DuckPro (since you went over to the duck-side )
@chickens really
@The Moonshiner
@Ravynscroft
All of these people seem to know a lot about ducks.

 

[chickens really]

Just in case you think you have to keep them separate, you don't have to. Ducks and chickens can co-exist happily together, and ducks do not carry any sicknessess that might pass onto your chickens. Ducks do not get sick as easily as chickens. In fact, they rarely get sick at all. Their body temperatures are much higher than chickens' and bacteria often cannot survive in ducks. They do need a pool, but the chickens will probably not try to get in or drown.
You can keep them separate, if you want to, but that will be much more expensive than keeping them with your chickens. Ducks also need brewers yeast, you can buy it on amazon. They can eat chicken layer, duck feed can be hard to find.
I am getting ducks myself (blue swedish) and cannot wait! I have read up a lot on ducks, but don't know really much more that I could say to help you. I will tag some people who can probably help more.
@DuckPro (since you went over to the duck-side )
@chickens really
@The Moonshiner
@Ravynscroft
All of these people seem to know a lot about ducks.

What?... Sorry...Duck person here and I disagree with a lot of your information...Anyways...

 

[Ravynscroft]

I just wanted advice on duck keeping, tips, and opinions. So nothing quite specific

How old are they?

 

[Ming Ming]

why do you disagree? makes sense.

 

[Allexis McFarland]

You can keep ducks and chickens together we have 10 ducks and 7 chickens together. We feed them all flock with nutritional yeast added for extra niacin. What sexes are the ducks? Recommended to have 4-6 females to males.