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Well, I can only speak from my experience. I don't really "house" any of the animals together (during the day) because they are in open/free range area. All of them are able to roam where they please on about 1 acre during daytime hours. My muscovies are very docile and friendly. I don't have any "bad" muscovy ducks, so they never fight with any of the chickens. I will add that ducks are most happy being in water, so that they can bath and swim around. For that matter, I have several kiddie pools that they enjoy every day. At night, some of the ducks go into the stalls or fly into the coops. Believe it or not (and some people say that ducks don't "roost") but I do have some ducks that fly on the roost and they roost right along with the chickens. I know that it sounds funny but it's true. The other ducks just like to sleep in the chicken yard. The only reason that I let them sleep on the ground and not penned up is because I have NEVER had a predator problem.
Muscovies can fly and they can fly HIGH!!!!!!!!!! So if you don't want them to fly onto someone's property, you would have to clip their wings. Mine fly around the property but they do not leave home. I think they just show off how high they can fly. It's a beautiful sight to see your own ducks flying.
So that being said, I think they can be housed with chickens but if ducks are with chickens in a closed area where they can't get out, it may be kinda messy. Ducks love water and they will try to get in a cup of water to bathe.
The ONLY problem that I have had with my 2 OTHER ducks (not muscovys - the 2 devils in the pic on the earlier post) is that they have tried to chase my chickens to breed and this is NOT GOOD. The first time I saw this, I almost flipped out. A duck could kill a chicken. If you haven't seen a duck's "tool" (what he uses to breed another duck), it is VERY DIFFERENT. It is a "spiral" shape apparatus that comes out and "wiggles" back in. A chicken is NOT designed to "accept" that. So, if a person has an aggressive duck that tries to breed with their chickens, they should immediately be separated. This is why my 2 jokers are in a separate pen (Alcatraz) and not with any chickens.
I hope that this helps.
Let's hear from the other muscovy owners.
Oh thanks for the laugh! I love your description! My favorite part is "spiral shape apparatus!!!!" So funny!
Actually, that was an accurate and tasteful description
I will never forget the first time I saw ducks "bump uglies." I was 10 years old and I thought that one duck was attacking another and that it's intestines were hanging out...boy was I wrong! I am incredibly grateful not to have been born a female duck!
Well thank you. I know that this is a family friendly forum and we have a lot of kids that read this post (Ms. Olivia) and I want to make sure that the language and tone remains family friendly and to not disresect the parents and kids. I knew that everyone would catch on.