keeping ducks with chickens?

[Anny]

Does anyone on here house chickens and ducks together (not free range but housed together)

What needs to be different for ducks from chickens ??

Do you keep a pool out year round for your ducks? How do you keep the chickens from falling into the pool?
DO you have any photos of your set up?

 

[poultrykeeper08]

WHen i used to have ducks i kept all my birds together . I had chickens,ducks,geese,turkeys,pigeons and guineas all in the same barn and run area . As long as the birds have enough room they should be fine

But your drakes might end up mounting your chickens

 

[newchickontheblock]

We have 7 chickens and 3 ducks. We have them in the same coop. they free range during the day but are roommates at night. The problems I face are : The ducks nest on the ground, make sure they have enough room to make a nest away from the roosts for the chickens. Otherwise, the ducks will get pooped on.
2nd: The ducks are messy with their water and the chickens are not. We have one central watering bowl in the coop and the bedding gets wet around it. Chickens don't like the wet bedding. Really other than those issues, they get along fine. We feed them the same diet of crumble from the same bowl but I always throw some on the ground too so they don't fight during mealtime.
I do have a pool for the ducks. The chickens only drink out of it once in a while. I have never had a problem with the chickens actually getting into the pool

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

I housed my animals all together for a week before i got my goose/ducks a house of their own. The problems were these: As my coop is unfinished, the space was small. Freerange during the day, and all together at night. The goose got pooped on by the hens. The ducks didn't have water at night (still don't), but i think that's totally fine, they're really happy, and don't care. Also, the chickens couldn't access their nest boxes because the goose would bite them if he could reach them... one morning my coop was full of feathers and baldy chickens.. that was the last straw. This winter I plan to finish the coop so the hens will sleep far away from the ducks/goose, but can share heat. I think that if you put the roost far, far away from the duck place, you should be fine.

 

[Heather J]

I think it depends on the birds. My Muscovies tend to get picked on by the chickens at the feed dish because they are so . . . timid, I guess is the right word. My other ducks are more likely to pick on the chickens at the feed dish (though it's usually the geese that are the big problem). It doesn't hurt to give it a try, but yes, make sure there is somewhere away from the roosts for the ducks to sleep. When I had my silkies and cochins all inside, some would sleep on the roosts, and the others all crowded in beneath it. There were always some with poop on them.

If worst came to worst (in the coop issue), you could always build the ducks a slightly separate shelter in the run to sleep in the secure area away from the chickens. Mine never use the beautiful shelter I provided for them (slightly tongue in cheek, here), but it's there if they want it. Only make sure it is easy to access, because I have several hens who think it's the best place in the world to lay their eggs. *sigh*