Is it too late in the year to get ducklings for the first time

[faykokoWV]

I have an order of chicks coming and after reading all of these duck posts, i was thinking about adding three ducklings to the order.

Would I be able to get them raised up enough to handle winter?

Can I put them in the brooder with the chicks and chick feed or do they need different feed ( I did read they need greens, so I'm guessing I need a different feed and brooder for them)

Until they are bigger, can I put them in the chicken run with a baby pool? ( my run is 150' x 5')

If I just had three ducks, how often would I need to change the water in a baby pool if I kept them in there as adults?

Once they are older, can I feed them Purina Flock raiser?

I was thinking about Rouens, would this be a good breed choice for a first duck? Or would I be better off getting an assortment of three different duck breeds?

sorry for all the newbie duck questions but I appreciate any information!!

 

[Duck Keeper]

Didn't read it all BUT DO NOT KEEP DUCKS WITH CHICKS!!!

The boys will continually 'vicious love' any females you have. We raised chicks with ONE DUCKLING and it ruined the chickens. They 'attack loved' the other ducks almost to the point of death.

Besides, DUCKS ARE TERRIBLE MESS MAKERS! Cannot stress that enough.
Start with one or the other, PLEASE!

 

[Duck Keeper]

Not too sure about your winters, but I would assume they're slightly milder than mine, so I would think if they arrived really soon and got to grow up fast, they might be able to make it. Of course, if you have a barn, it's easier to keep them warm, but they'll destroy any thought of 'dry' anyway, so they'd probably freeze themselves by being constantly wet.

You can use chick feed, but be sure it says it's also for ducklings, or add brewer's yeast for extra niacin; without enough ducklings can get really bad neurological problems. If you feed anything other than chick/duckling food, make sure to get them clean sand or fine grit.

The pool will need to be cleaned whenever you want to clean it. They get NASTY if they stay in the pen with the ducks, because they spend all of their time in them, but they'll still drink from it, even if it's full of a foot of dirt and slop.

Purina Flock Raiser is designed so you can feed it to chickens and waterfowl.

I think you'd need higher protein if you fed it to turkeys, but what do I know?

I don't have any personal experience with rouens, but they seem nice.

I would go for an assortment personally.

 

[smfamf]

I have ducks, chickens, and guineas. They have been together since about 3 days old. I have not had any problems with them. They all get along great. They are about 7 months old now. They even insist on sharing the same coop. Heck they even share the same nest boxes. I say if you really want ducks, get some. They are great. They were my first birds ever. I started with 14 chicks, 6 keets, and 8 ducklings. I have since gotten rid of extra males. Rouens should be okay to start with. If you brood them all inside, there shouldn't be a problem with the weather. They just need to be fully feathered before going outside, but this is the same with chicks so it shouldn't be a problem. A baby pool should be okay. That is what I started mine with. I was later given a large stock tank for free but that was just luck. A baby pool would need to be changed daily. They will try to get into the water dish also. But these are just my opinions, take them if you want.

 

[Duck Keeper]

I agree, all of my birds get along great now, but the ONE time I tried to cut corners and do them together, we ended up with a lot of barbeque.

 

[FenDruadin]

On a small scale, even Dave Holderread says chickens and ducks do okay together (though he does say it's not ideal--but then, what is ideal?). If you want to try it, I would say to go for it. Maybe stick with all girls though, and DEFINITELY don't get more than one boy. A sexually frustrated drake is dangerous to the other birds.

They will get the water very very dirty. You will want to change their water at LEAST every three days (daily if they aren't able to get out to a larger body of water during the day--I change mine every three because they spend their days on a large lake, so they are only muddying their pool water at night). And the chickens should have a water source that the ducks can't get to, as they prefer their water a little cleaner.

The ducks will actually do better in cold weather than the chickens. So if you offer them the same protection the chickens have, they'll be fine.

Good luck!

 

[froggie71]

We have ducks, chickens and guineas too. We just finished brooding 1 duckling with 2 chicks and 3 keets. The duck out grew the brooder twice as fast as the others. And with only 1 duckling, the bedding had to be changed frequently, and they went through water like crazy. We just put him in the duck house with the big ducks. It took some time for him to realize he was a duck and not a chick or keet. LOL. I don't have Rouens, but friends of ours do, and they really like them.
Good luck on your decision.

ETA: any water that is given to ducks becomes dirty within minutes. We've used poultry waterers, tubs, pools, etc. and all become dirty very quickly.

 

[faykokoWV]

so I guess if I want to try something new, it would be better to wait until spring or next summer so I can have more room for error. thanks for all of the information!!

 

[ScoobyRoo]

I took the plunge and have chickens, geese, ducks and turkeys. They get along for the most part with their occasional spats. Ducks are messy but that is not the point, they are fun to watch! You will enjoy them. Mine are laying now but I myself don't want more mouths to feed going into winter. I'll wait next year and hope for a broody hen.

There are a lot of advice on here about "how do you do that?, what do you do? with chickens and ducks. Just search it.

 

[Goat_Walker]

When I had three ducks I changed out my baby pool at least twice to three times a week - else id have to worry about worms. If your not a fan off all the messy water worry get scovies.They may not seem the prettiest to you but they will grow on you thats for sure! But I would seperat them from the chickens. I got one of my ducklings from a guy who had it with chicks and it had been pecked so badly that its feathers are now ( at one month + ) comming in at different colors.

Ducks are the BEST outdoor or indoor fowl their is in my opinion ( of course ive never had chickens or peacocks - Dont peck me please

)

I love mine and am a complete and total addict.