Keeping ducks and chickens together?

[boykin2010]

Could i keep a pekin and muscovy duck with my laying hens? I am very new to ducks and know very little but i saw some ducks at the auction that i would love to have them. I have a couple of questions though. Do ducks roost with the hens? How many eggs do the 2 breeds lay? How broody are the 2 breeds? Do they eat the same food as chickens ( my hens eat laying pellets. ) Do ducks have to have water in their pen to be happy? Are ducks and chickens even compatible?

 

[bgelber]

I can answer a couple of your questions.

I have both ducks and chickens, they get along fine but mine free range all the time. Pretty funny to see a broody chicken and broody duck share a nest of eggs.

Ducks don't roost they make themselves a nest. But they can stay in the same coop as long as there is room.

As far as broodiness of the two breeds I have no idea. Same for the amount of eggs, I'm sure it's seasonal like all ducks.

My ducks do eat the same feed as the chickens. Layena, but in this manner I have pigs not ducks as they do love to eat.

Ducks do require water.

Are they compatible: Yes. You do find a few strange ones that don't get along but for the most part my cayuga was raised by chickens, therefore she thinks she's a chicken most of the time. By that I mean she would rather hang out with the chickens rather than the ducks.

Hope that answers some of your questions.

 

[Kaitie09]

We have two, 14wk old Mallards (hen and drake) that live in an enclosed run with 17 hens and a roo since they were 6 wks old. There has never been any fighting and the ducks pretty much think they are chickens. We had a problem with the water for a little bit in the coop but we made an area that will catch and drain the extra that the ducks spill out. We also feed them Layena and that really upped the production in chicken eggs. Our have not layed yet, but they made a nest under the nesting boxes at night while the hens roost. We always hear that chickens can drown but we put a pond in there with them (2ft deep) with steps in and out, and on hot days you will see the ducks and chickens all getting in it to cool off.

 

[flnatv]

I have chickens and ducks.
My ducks stay in the coop at night, but are put into the fenced yard during the day with their little kiddie swimming pool.
They have a house in the yard, but BEG to to into the barn coop with the chickens at night.

I think they get along fine.

 

[boykin2010]

Ok thank you. I dont have a place to put a pool in my coop. If i cant get a pool does that mean i cant get ducks? I would like to know about their egg-laying because i dont want to buy them if i dont get eggs in return.
Thank you all for your responses...

 

[JulieNKC]

Ducks don't need a pool. My chickens and ducks stay in the coop together, but they also free range. They get along for the most part. My teeny lil silkie/game hen does like to terrorize the ducks. It's actually kind of funny to see 5 ducks running from a teeny little hen.

Mine aren't laying yet, but I believe some duck breeds (like my khaki campbell) are supposed to lay even more eggs than chickens.

 

[boykin2010]

Ok thank you

 

[Totes Quackers]

My duck lives very happily with my 6 hens, he sleeps under the coop. They all free range in the day and he is never far away from his 'chicken flock'! He eats the layer pellets that I feed the chooks and shares the food scraps. They all seem very happy together

 

[El Paso Linda]

I have 2 Pekin ducks, a drake and a hen, and bantum silkies that free range together, they eat the same food. The ducks have a kiddie pool that is about 18" deep and I put a fence around the pool to help keep the chickens out. But I did put a walking ramp in the pool so the chickens can get out if they fall in. The ducks have their own house but the chicken hens go into it to lay their eggs sometimes. They all get along very well, but the ducks will push the chickens out of the way to get to the treats first and the chickens don't fight back.