help! we got ducks! got lots of questions!

[sunket77]

My son is in 4H and we went on a wonderful field trip to a breeders house. It was awesome the amazing set up he had and all the breeds of birds! He was kind enough to give each child a breeding pair and we drew names on what he had to offer. My DS got a lovely pair of black jap. bantams. My DD got to choose from what was left on the list since she is not old enough to be in 4H we got a pair of ADORABLE black call ducks! I am trying to learn all I can about raising ducks!!

My first question is do ducks and chickens get along or can I put them with my flock? I am working on a separate pen for the japs since I can't put roosters together. I have a roo already in my main flock. It I put the ducks with the chickens will they peck them?

Also how do ducks nest? Do their nests need to be on the ground?

any help is MUCH appreciated!

 

[Bleenie]

your new birds should all be fine in the same pen. i used to keep my call ducks with my chickens.

you can make a floor box for the call hen, just a box with a hole in the front and a removeable top so you can collect the eggs or check on them/her.

 

[Jess N Jeff]

My ducks and chickens are all together. My Cayuga duck(female) is the head honcho and calls all the shots. My ducks sleep in their own little nesting boxes on the floor of the coop. Sometimes they will all decide to huddle together in a corner of the coop. I'm in southern California so they don't cuddle because its cold, I just think that every now and then they do a bonding cuddle.

 

[sunket77]

Thanks! we are proud of our new additions! I just don't know much about ducks! I was advised that they eat layer pellets.
Do they eat as often or as much as chickens ? and do they lay eggs as often as chickens? I am yet to actually see them eat.

 

[NYREDS]

You can keep ducks & chickens in the same pen but most would advise against it. Ducks are very messy & will splash enough to make a mess of the litter. This in turn makes the environment unsuitable for chickens. Ducks have to be able to get their heads under water to keep their nostrils clear so there's no way to avoid the splashing.
As to feed, ducks need more niacin in their diet than chickens so you need to either supplement their diet or use a feed formulated for waterfowl.

 

[goosedragon]

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Usually ducks can live with chickens but calls are so tiny that I would advise against it. a Hen chicken could kill them very rapidly. Keep in mind that small ducks like calls can usually Fly like a bird. Calls are ground nesters. I suspect that your calls are old enough That they do not require a niacin supplement, layer pellets should do the job for both sexs. On a size for size basis ducks eat more than chickens but your calls should be small enought that the average chicken eats more. Most call people feed there calls twice per day. Calls are not usually good layers (about 40-50 eggs per year usually in the early spring). some of the really tiny ones don't manage to lay at all I hope this is some help, be carefull taking advise from this board, some of the posters are want-to-bes that have never owned a duck.

 

[Le Canard de Barbarie]

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Geez, and I thought I was the only one who felt that way....

 

[evonne]

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could the calls be kept in with the jap banties?? i just recently found out about the call ducks and am thinking of getting some in the spring... they are ssoo cute.. i have roen's already.. and wouldn't have thought of keeping calls seperate.. well maybe i would for the same reason i keep my banies seperate from my LF chickens.. don't want my LF roo getting ahold of one of my banty hens.. would it be the same w/ the calls vs/ the roesn??

my roens and my LF are in the same run... and only problem i have with them is that the 3 roens will sometimes decide to team up and chase the roo.. i find it hilarious... they don't do any damage, but the herd him around the run and pull at some of his feathers.. never any blood.. and i figure he has a sharp beak and can fly away if he really wants to... these guys don't fly.. lol..

good luck with your new birds... post pics!!! i'll be watching to see what the outcome of their living arrangements ends up being... but i would take the advice about the size issue.. and research if they could be in with the banties...

 

[sunket77]

ok! here's how things have been arranged now...
My original plan is for the duckies (sara and daffy they are my daughters she is 6) on their own. I had a large run I planned on splitting into three sections. The Japs are in one end. BUT I also had a couple polish that get picked on every time it rains soooo... I left the other end of the run larger and put the polish in with the ducks. Until today I realized one polish is picking on the other and still causing a bloody head! So I had to split them again. So now one polish is with the japs and the other with the ducks. HOPEFULLY the japs won't pick on her. So I am planning to leave the large side large and put our future pair of nankins that are coming in a couple of weeks, with the calls and the one polish pullet.

with luck the polish will stop getting picked on! So far so good though.

any suggestions on how to get them tame? they are very skiddish.