Hello all,
I have 3 lovely chickens, they have been with me since April this year and are into and on to everything.
This weekend I ended up with 2 drakes, a lovely East Indian and a Diddy little Apricot Call. Both are fully grown (not that this means much in size) but the Apricot is still a very small duck.
I kept the ducks in the coop and run for the full day saturday and all 5 went to 'bed' ok sat night.
Yesterday they all had the run of the garden and pond and kept busy. After an eventful evening of coaxing the ducks to go into the coop to sleep all went to bed peacefully.
This morning, I released them all from the coop into the run for the day while I am at work and after coaxing the ducks to come out and have some food, Theo (White chicken) the boss chook decided to have a go at them, she kept chasing the ducks and charging with her head down at them and they seemed very scared of her and there Alvin (Brown chicken) decided to join in. Thenk god the last chicken is a wimp!
I am very aware animals need a fight it out and have a 'pecking' order but will my chickens harm the ducks, if so what do i do, and is there a better way of doing this!!?? and how long will this last for?
It worries me that they have the run of the full garden when i am not there to keep an eye out for them but I dont want the chickens to be attacking the ducks for 6 hours untill I can get home to let them out of the run. It is a god sized run anhd there is plently of space for them all and a tub of water for the ducks.
Is it worth enclosing everyone in with me for a few hours for a few days so they can sort it out but i can step in if needs be and this way the ducks get use to me also or is this too much!!?
I have had chickens and ducks before at my parents but they didnt go through this fighting it out stage so am somewhat new to it all.
Any advice/help would be great!!
I have 3 lovely chickens, they have been with me since April this year and are into and on to everything.
This weekend I ended up with 2 drakes, a lovely East Indian and a Diddy little Apricot Call. Both are fully grown (not that this means much in size) but the Apricot is still a very small duck.
I kept the ducks in the coop and run for the full day saturday and all 5 went to 'bed' ok sat night.
Yesterday they all had the run of the garden and pond and kept busy. After an eventful evening of coaxing the ducks to go into the coop to sleep all went to bed peacefully.
This morning, I released them all from the coop into the run for the day while I am at work and after coaxing the ducks to come out and have some food, Theo (White chicken) the boss chook decided to have a go at them, she kept chasing the ducks and charging with her head down at them and they seemed very scared of her and there Alvin (Brown chicken) decided to join in. Thenk god the last chicken is a wimp!
I am very aware animals need a fight it out and have a 'pecking' order but will my chickens harm the ducks, if so what do i do, and is there a better way of doing this!!?? and how long will this last for?
It worries me that they have the run of the full garden when i am not there to keep an eye out for them but I dont want the chickens to be attacking the ducks for 6 hours untill I can get home to let them out of the run. It is a god sized run anhd there is plently of space for them all and a tub of water for the ducks.
Is it worth enclosing everyone in with me for a few hours for a few days so they can sort it out but i can step in if needs be and this way the ducks get use to me also or is this too much!!?
I have had chickens and ducks before at my parents but they didnt go through this fighting it out stage so am somewhat new to it all.
Any advice/help would be great!!
