Melarocks
In the Brooder
Hi all,
Finally officially joined the group, though I've been a lurker reading articles for a while. A brief introduction:
(1) Are you new to chickens / when did you first get chickens? We got our flock March of 2017 on a snowy snowy weekend. The girls were 10 months then which makes them about 20 months old now.
(2) How many chickens do you have right now? We have 6.
(3) What breeds do you have? 2 Araucanas, 2 Rhode Island Red and 2 Plymouth (one barred, one black)
(4) How did you find out about BackYardChickens.com? Google Search!
(5) What are some of your other hobbies? I'm a beekeeper, cook/canner and gardener, my fiancee is building a teardrop trailer. Together we brew beer as well.
(6) Tell us about your family, your other pets, your occupation, or anything else you'd like to share. We currently have the chickens and bees but are looking to expand. I look forward to getting to know this group and eventually being able to contribute more than just questions.
The question that prompted me to join today is that we are considering adding ducks to our group. We've read quite a bit about integrating chickens into an existing flock so there isn't infighting but I reckon this is a bit different.
We have a fenced/roofed run that is about 6'x8' that they are locked into at night but are let out into the larger yard most days. The girls have a coop (kit that came from their previous owners with them) with two nesting boxes with an additional house bit thats'sabout 2'x3'. They tend to sleep on top of that coop under the roof of the run no matter the temperature.
It seems that a second coop for the ducks is recommended, is that right? Can it be within the same run?
Do we need to do the same slow sort of introduction we might with chickens?
I've read drakes can hurt hens if they try to mount them. Is this a real concern? Do we need to either avoid drakes or get a duck hen as well?
In addition to a pond and water source that is larger for their beaks, what else is needed?
Do the chickens stay out of the duck feed and vice versa? How do we make sure each group gets the proper nutrition? I guess I think of the dog and cat in the house. The dog would gladly eat the cat food, though the reverse isn't true. We keep the cat food behind a baby gate so everyone gets what they need.
Thank you for the help!
Finally officially joined the group, though I've been a lurker reading articles for a while. A brief introduction:
(1) Are you new to chickens / when did you first get chickens? We got our flock March of 2017 on a snowy snowy weekend. The girls were 10 months then which makes them about 20 months old now.
(2) How many chickens do you have right now? We have 6.
(3) What breeds do you have? 2 Araucanas, 2 Rhode Island Red and 2 Plymouth (one barred, one black)
(4) How did you find out about BackYardChickens.com? Google Search!
(5) What are some of your other hobbies? I'm a beekeeper, cook/canner and gardener, my fiancee is building a teardrop trailer. Together we brew beer as well.
(6) Tell us about your family, your other pets, your occupation, or anything else you'd like to share. We currently have the chickens and bees but are looking to expand. I look forward to getting to know this group and eventually being able to contribute more than just questions.
The question that prompted me to join today is that we are considering adding ducks to our group. We've read quite a bit about integrating chickens into an existing flock so there isn't infighting but I reckon this is a bit different.
We have a fenced/roofed run that is about 6'x8' that they are locked into at night but are let out into the larger yard most days. The girls have a coop (kit that came from their previous owners with them) with two nesting boxes with an additional house bit thats'sabout 2'x3'. They tend to sleep on top of that coop under the roof of the run no matter the temperature.
It seems that a second coop for the ducks is recommended, is that right? Can it be within the same run?
Do we need to do the same slow sort of introduction we might with chickens?
I've read drakes can hurt hens if they try to mount them. Is this a real concern? Do we need to either avoid drakes or get a duck hen as well?
In addition to a pond and water source that is larger for their beaks, what else is needed?
Do the chickens stay out of the duck feed and vice versa? How do we make sure each group gets the proper nutrition? I guess I think of the dog and cat in the house. The dog would gladly eat the cat food, though the reverse isn't true. We keep the cat food behind a baby gate so everyone gets what they need.
Thank you for the help!
Happy
to have you join the family. Enjoy your time here at BYC! 
