Learning curve for adding ducks with hens?

[Kyguylal]

Hi all,

We currently have 7 golden comet hens (9 months old) and are thinking about getting some ducks.

This spring, I'm converting a shed to a new coop and buying a dog kennel for a run. The run will be bottom wrapped in hardware cloth and an electric fence surrounding it. I'm also pouring a concrete perimeter because I hate foxes.

Looking like we'll have plenty of space to add some birds. We're in southern New Hampshire so it's not that cold. Most nights right now barely dip below zero (f), but we can expect 3-5 18" snow storms a year.

Anything to know about adding a flock of 5-7 female ducks to an existing flock of 7 hens? Any reason why to not do this?

The run will be about 250sf and the coop about 100sf. The chickens free range about 5 hours a day when I'm home, but we're only on an acre.

Is the learning curve all that hard when adding ducks? We'd be raising ducklings inside until they're ready to move out.

Regarding water, I was just planning on a pool with some steps so chickens can get out of they fall in. I was going to set up a pump to change the water every couple days.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

Just be aware that ducks love water and mud. Their water is usually dirty in ten minutes and half of the water from the pool will end up out of the pool and making mud. If you and your chickens can live with that, then get them, they are lots of fun. Your setup sounds fine.

 

[SoFlockingHappy]

Beware that male ducks have penises unlike roosters and can kill your hens during mating. I bought a pair of ducks on a whim and learned this the hard way.

 

[DuckGirl77]

Sounds like you have a nice setup for them. I keep my ducks with my hens currently, but am planning on moving them to their own coop this summer, since I've found some things work better for ducks vs. chickens. That being said, keeping them together has worked for us, and for the most part the ducks ignore the chickens and vice versa.

Some things to keep in mind-

Although ducks aren't really "aggressive," they do have minor squabbles with chickens that get in their faces. To avoid this, I keep at least two sources of water, and two food bowls, at different places around the pen. The ducks drink from each bowl to see if it tastes different, so each bowl will be equally dirty - but that's just part of having ducks. It does help to have a pool for them.

Space: Ducks in general are dirtier than chickens, so I've found that allocating more space to them than you would per chicken works well. On that note, it may be wise to start with only a few ducks to see how it works. For some reason, it is easier to have alot of chickens vs alot of ducks - that's my experience, anyhow.

Ventilation: Ducks are wet, and in the winter this can be an issue since moist conditions --> frostbite. Be sure your coop has plenty of ventilation. Also, avoid leaving water in the coop at night (unless you have a dirt floor.) You want your coop as dry as possible, and this only adds to the problem.

Deep bedding: helpful since they are so wet. (Even without water kept in the coop, the duck droppings contain so much water that it makes wet conditions.) Every day, I turn the bedding before putting fresh stuff in. This helps keep the moisture off the floor and "air dry" the bedding.

Good luck with your flock, ducks are so much fun to have around and are full of personality. I'm sure you'll enjoy keeping them .