Is 2 ducks too few?

PirateGirl

Chicken Lover, Duck Therapist
6 Years
Mar 11, 2017
7,222
18,632
652
South Park, Colorado, USA
I'm very close to impulsively adopting 2 young ducks (both male) free to a good home in my neighborhood. I currently have chickens, but no ducks. Is 2 ducks too few? I live in a cold environment. I'm not sure if this is a factor as to how many you should have to keep their house warm at night.
 
I'd probably have to fence a larger area, so I could expand the chicken run, or just have two runs that share a side. It sounds like it might be better to have them separated for the safety of the chickens.
 
I'm very close to impulsively adopting 2 young ducks (both male) free to a good home in my neighborhood. I currently have chickens, but no ducks. Is 2 ducks too few? I live in a cold environment. I'm not sure if this is a factor as to how many you should have to keep their house warm at night.
I made a nice house for ours and they have never stepped foot in it, as for them being with chickens, I wound up with 4 drakes and one female, they killed her, then picked out one particular hen every time and killed her from breeding her. I now have 1 drake and 8 females on the way for him from Stromberg's hatchery and supply. A very old and reliable company. They contract out to a lot of breeders. Keep them apart or don't get them at all. They also will tare a yard up when raining, Khaki's at least are some mud loving, drilling machines.
 
My alternate idea is converting my largest raised bed to a duck pen since my vegetable garden was such a failure... how high should the fence be? I will fence or putting netting over top too due to predators. I have quite a bit of 4 ft. Fencing on hand already.

Sounds like a cheap or free dog house off Craigslist might be best since they may or may not ever use it ;)
 
My alternate idea is converting my largest raised bed to a duck pen since my vegetable garden was such a failure... how high should the fence be? I will fence or putting netting over top too due to predators. I have quite a bit of 4 ft. Fencing on hand already.

Sounds like a cheap or free dog house off Craigslist might be best since they may or may not ever use it ;)
khaki's can't fly as adults (don't know what you may be getting) I use the 2 foot green plastic mesh and three foot T posts, holds up great and the ducks never have challenged it. As for predators, I have breeding coopers hawks and at least 2 red tails in the area. Nothing has bothered the ducks, chickens, that's another story.
 
We have coyotes that could easily hop a fence. The ducks are runners I believe. Every time I see an animal that's free to a good home I want to take it home! I have been contemplating ducks anyway, but was thinking more next summer than this one until these guys popped up on my computer screen...
 
First let me say, 'impulsively' is not a good idea. Please read and learn all that you can about ducks before taking them. I say this with the best intentions. Ducks are messy and loud. I love my ducks but the drakes drive me crazy. If your drakes do not have ducks to mate with they will try to mate with your hens. This will kill your hens because they are not anatomically the same as ducks. If you get the two drakes they must be kept separate from the chickens. The two drakes will probably get along if there are no girls around but with girls there will be a totally different dynamic. If you do decide to get them girls, a good ratio is 1 drake to 2 to 3 ducks. Good luck.
 

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