Is it good to have ducks with chickens?

[chicklover_3221]

I have 5 chickens, all about a week old. I thought that ducks were good to have with the flock, but I've been getting some mixed feedback. Some people said that they may fight with the chickens. I don't want to buy the 2 ducks to have to get rid of them later on. Do you think that they would get along if I raised them with the chickens, since the ducks will be about the same age?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

They'll mKe the pen miserably muddy for chickens. And if there are drakes, absolutely not. They could seriously injure the hens if they try to breed (which they will).

If it's two duck hens, then yes, usually it should work

 

[chicklover_3221]

They'll mKe the pen miserably muddy for chickens. And if there are drakes, absolutely not. They could seriously injure the hens if they try to breed (which they will).

If it's two duck hens, then yes, usually it should work

Yes, they will be duck hens, if I decide to buy them. I did hear that ducks are messy though. Would it be better if I kept them semi separate so that the pen isn't as messy?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Wherever their water is, it's just going to be messy. That's why I don't keep them currently. So it would be easiest to just designate a corner of the pen as the water corner and just keep the bowl there

 

[chicklover_3221]

Wherever their water is, it's just going to be messy. That's why I don't keep them currently. So it would be easiest to just designate a corner of the pen as the water corner and just keep the bowl there

I get that. My chicks keep pushing the wood shavings into their water and I have to take some of it out so they can drink. Right now I have them in a kiddie pool (since they are still small) and we are about to buy a chicken coop, so I will do that if we buy ducks.

 

[BabyGotQuack]

My chickens and ducks got along great until we got drakes. The drakes were always chasing off the chickens and ripping out their feathers.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I get that. My chicks keep pushing the wood shavings into their water and I have to take some of it out so they can drink. Right now I have them in a kiddie pool (since they are still small) and we are about to buy a chicken coop, so I will do that if we buy ducks.

You're not buying a prefab coop, right? That's going to almost certainly be too small for both chickens and ducks

 

[chicklover_3221]

You're not buying a prefab coop, right? That's going to almost certainly be too small for both chickens and ducks

I think we are going to go on the bigger side, because with 6 chickens, and maybe 2 ducks, that would be too small. Either that, or we are going to build one.

 

[chicklover_3221]

My chickens and ducks got along great until we got drakes. The drakes were always chasing off the chickens and ripping out their feathers.

We will not be buying drakes, because we don't need any ducklings running around. If we ever decide to breed our ducks or chickens, we will probably pay to use someone else's because I don't want them fighting, and also we live inside city limits so we can't have any roosters.

 

[Isadora]

They'll mKe the pen miserably muddy for chickens. And if there are drakes, absolutely not. They could seriously injure the hens if they try to breed (which they will).

If it's two duck hens, then yes, usually it should work

Duck hens and chickens can be housed together as long as you are aware that ducks have different needs.
Ducks need enough water to be able to submerge their whole bill to clean their nares. They love to bathe and because of that can make their area quite messy and muddy.
Ducks don't roost like chickens, so they would need a clean place on the ground to sleep at night, not just under the chickens roosting bars or something.
If you have sufficient outdoor space I don't see why not.
And I second the warning that drakes should not be mixed with chickens. Some people try it but in my opinion it's not worth risking, not when it could kill one of my chickens.