Housing question - ducks & chickens?

[mom2jedi]

Someone else mentioned they kept their ducks and chickens in the same "house" just separate. Could you guys that have done this give me some pros and cons to this method? We are going to be redoing our chicken coop (converting a large shed) and was already planning for two areas so I can have brooder/infirmary space. If we decide to get ducks, can they share the same shed? Are there any issues with ducks and chickens sleeping near each other but separated? Thanks!

 

[mandelyn]

So far it's been working pretty well. It's cool having one door the same size on each side for human access. We put a solid bottom on the divider wall since I wanted to use some plastic mesh I already had on hand, after hearing the ducks could rip it apart easily. So the bottom 2 ft is plywood.

I have their waterer set inside a plastic tub to keep the bedding reasonably dry. There isn't much cleaning on their side, since they spend almost the whole day out in their run. They're so happy about their pool, they don't even care about free ranging.

 

[mom2jedi]

I would love pictures if you have some of your setup! Also, anyone else want to share?

 

[mommyofthreewithchicks]

My birds have lots of space, as I have them in the barn. I would say it has not been a big problem except for the water issue. The ducks make a MESS of their water and the chickens don't like their water dirty or the floor in a puddle. How I have solved this is in the warmer months I give them water outside and when they have to be locked up I have it in along one wall in the far back corner of what would have been a milking parlor 20X60. In the front of that parlor I keep a dish of food and then I have two dishes of food in the sleeping quarters 20x40.

I don't have any dividers but am planning on trying to divide part of the coop to make breeder pens. I also have a 12X16 open faced shed that I separated the WH and my growing out chickens and this has had difficulty as it is a dirt floor- thus MUD! With chickens last summer it was perfect with the addition of ducks it is not, so I am trying to puzzle out where their summer home should really be.

In the winter months all birds were housed in the barn, together. (over the winter I had 30 ducks/30 chickens)

Hope that helps.

 

[mandelyn]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=498810

We've done some painting since then, but that's the idea of it. That way the duck mess doesn't get in the chickens way and they can splash as much water out of their pool as they feel like in their own private run.