Housing Ducks and Chickens together

[nayeli]

How many of you house your ducks and chickens together? I am wanting both and I would only be making one coop, although it might have a chicken side and a duck side. What do ya'll think? I have read they get along together. How do ya'll keep yours?

 

[my sunwolf]

I keep mine separate because the ducks mess up the water so bad! The ducks also make it so that I can't water the chickens inside the coop. My ducks and chickens tolerate each other, but they don't really get along. So if I were you, I'd make a duck side and a chicken side, though if you free range them don't expect them to stick to their "sides"!

 

[nayeli]

Thanks Heartmoss, I will make seperate sides for them at night and when they free range they can be as near or far from each other as they choose!

 

[cosbackyard]

Yeah I keep mine together. There are a couple of things to consider when you do that.

1. Ducks are super messy. It makes cleaning the coop more challenging. I built a second level in the coop with perches where the chickens mostly stay. Although the ducks do fly up there sometimes.

2. Ducks are super messy. I keep the water outside only. If it's inside the ducks will splash it everywhere. Since ducks have to have water when they eat that means that both food and water are outside-only. Mine have 24/7 access to an attached run that I built like fort knox to keep the nasties at bay.

3. Drakes may try to mate with your chickens, possibly killing them in the process. My drake has two females to keep him busy but lately I've been noticing some missing feathers on the back of one of the chickens' neck. I'm going to have to watch them closely to make sure he's not being a chicken rapist. If so I'll probably separate them at night (they free-range during the day.)

 

[Haida]

My mother in law keeps her ducks and chickens together... I think she has about 20 chickens and 13 ducks... and yeah, the ducks make a HUGE mess of the water. She changes all of her water buckets 2-3 times a day. They have their own pond, but they prefer to take baths in the chicken waterers!

The chickens don't mind the girl ducks, but they dislike the big drakes. They will even let the girl ducks use the same nest boxes! But as far as drakes go? They run from them and give them dirty looks as they do so, lol.

I hope that helps!

 

[Ozarkguy]

I raise my meat ducks and chickens together but they were hatchmates and I had to build an elaborate system to drian any dabble water outside the pen. I also have a trio of laying ducks in with my laying hens they seem to get along fine but my pens are large so they have room to themselves if they want it.

 

[nayeli]

I am not considering seperate coops entirely!