Introducing ducks to a chicken flock

[animal boy]

Last year I got a pair of Rouen ducks and loved having them. I sadly had to give them away and now I'm thinking of getting more ducks. I really don't want to have them in another coop for them since I have plenty of room in my chicken coop. My chickens were fine with the Rouens but that's because they were raised together. Would I be o.k. to slowly intorduce the new ducks to my chicken flock. I also have a rooster that can be pretty rough sometimes, so what is the likely he will attack the ducks?

 

[jdywntr]

Last year I got a pair of Rouen ducks and loved having them. I sadly had to give them away and now I'm thinking of getting more ducks. I really don't want to have them in another coop for them since I have plenty of room in my chicken coop. My chickens were fine with the Rouens but that's because they were raised together. Would I be o.k. to slowly intorduce the new ducks to my chicken flock. I also have a rooster that can be pretty rough sometimes, so what is the likely he will attack the ducks?

Hi. You will have to intro them very slowly as the first time they were raised together. If you get day old or young ducklings, you'll need to wait until they are basically the same size to put them together. The roo could be a problem there are no guarantees either way. You could TRY to get hatching eggs or day olds when one of your chickens goes broody and then she would raise them and they (most likely) would be accepted. She will freak out when they decide to go swimming but otherwise it is done alot.

You don't say the reason that you had to give away the Rouens last year (and you don't need to share it) but are you 100% sure that the same circumstances won't come up again?

Just don't want you to have to go through the same thing.

 

[animal boy]

I decided to give them away because I live in an urban area on a busy street and I didn't want to have them cooped uped all day. The ducks would always try to cross the road and rather risk coming home one day to find a dead duck in the road I decied to give them away (they went to a great home. I still visit them from time to time). My chickens imprinted on the much larger ducks when they were younger and would follow them anywhere (including the road) but the chickens don't seem to go anywhere near the road now. I was thinking that if the younger ducks imprint on the larger chickens they would learn not to cross the road and would stay with the chicken flock. Think it would work?

 

[TLWR]

The ducks are likely going to keep to their own since they are being raised separately and if the last ones had access to the road, the new ones likely will head that direction too.

 

[jdywntr]

I have to agree that it is unlikely that they will imprint that tightly to the chickens forever. Ducks like to wander and once grown, they will probably wander off too. Is there any way that you can put up a barrier, maybe 3' tall, across the driveway or wherever they are leaving?

Even a shorter barrier will deter them, unless they are being chased by something.

 

[AlezaJ]

Hi, im about to introduce 2 full grown female ducks to my chicken flock. I got them a few weeks ago, they had been injured and are fully healed. 1 of them had mucous in its nose when I got it and its been cleared up for about s week. Is it safe to introduce them yet??

 

[Amiga]

Hmmm, it may be close to time. I think jdywntr had said she thinks four weeks for quarantine, if I recall.

 

[AlezaJ]

Thanx.