Keeping Ducks goats & horses together

[puddleducks2329]

A vet once told me that it was not a good idea to mix chickens and horses. or that chickens posed health problems to horses. Is there any truth to this? Do ducks pose any potential heath threats to goats or horses. I'd like to move my ducks to the horse pasture for the winter. It's a 2 acre fenced in pasture with two large run-in sheds.

 

[Kevin565]

Ducks are very messy but I don't believe they will pose health issues to horses or goats.

 

[SassyKat6181]

I had heard this too....I think it was something to do with spreading worms to one another. My chickens and ducks have two stalls in our horse barn as their coop. We have 11 horses. The birds and horses do not share outdoor space. Sorry I can't be of more help, but we haven't had any problems here.

 

[Going Quackers]

I've heard it, yes i can only comment on ducks as that is all i have.. the risk is salmonella(droppings/drinking/eating).. now FWIW.. my ducks have been here almost a year and they trek(sneak in) to the horse paddock and barn area now & again.. they know better.. as they bolt when they see people.. i also have a few determined hens who adore the heated water trough as a bather..

I haven't had a single issue.. i really discourage the ducks from being in there with the horses but hey i am not checking 24/7 and i know a few times i have just said stuff it and left them to clean up the paddock(the ducks free range)...

I admit at first i worried but i mean people used to keep ducks, chickens and horses all the freakin' time.. so?

 

[toadbriar]

Who are we worried about infecting who? Everybody poops... everybody's poop has bacteria and potentially parasites in it.

Chickens might be more problematic cos they roost, and might poop into the horse and goat feed/water?

My flock live in a pen (night) and pond area (day) that are enclosed by a fence which also contains my mini horse and 4 goats. Horse & goats get wormed on a regular schedule, birds do not. One important factor IMO is, are the animals confined in a small space, or spread out over a large foraging area? My birds are not swimming in the animals' drinking water, which IMO is also an important factor. The horse will occasionally drink from the pond but it's 1/3 acre, so it's not like drinking from the ducks' water pan.

Knock wood, no one's fallen ill or had diarrhea or anything yet.

Mostly I worried about someone getting stepped on, but they seem pretty savvy about that!

My vet said she didn't foresee any problems, before I opened up their forage areas. So I actually worry less now because I feel that the horse is actually a coyote/dog deterrent.

 

[Going Quackers]

What i have "heard" is contamination of salmonella from the bird droppings to the horses, as i said mine have been here almost a year(ducks) and have had no issues, but like you say toadbriar it probably depends on what sort of set up one has... common sense and overall cleanliness etc.

 

[toadbriar]

I might feel differently if my horse were 30 years old, with a touchy immune system, and sickly history. But my Grace is a shaggy tank, she will outlive us all. And my goats are so fussy, they don't eat stuff if it even hits the ground, so I don't worry about them getting contaminated.