Mixing Ducks with Chickens

[jackhorn01]

What about the rooster thing. My coop when finished will be rather large.

 

[jdywntr]

A rooster can't injure a duck by mating. But care needs to be taken as chickens have many things that can be used to injure. Beaks, claws, spurs can all injure ducks.

 

[jackhorn01]

Ok cool. I figured some extra care would need to be taken, I was just wondering if roosters in general would be extra aggressive towards the ducks or if it was the same as the chickens. Also I never debeaked any of my hens as after the first couple weeks they stopped squabbling over the new additions so I saw no point. This will be my first rooster so I am wondering will he be the same as the hens and eventually will lay off of everyone or will he be a permanent bully and its a standard thing to have them debeaked?

 

[jdywntr]

Every bird is different. I have one roo who is getting a bit nasty but he is seperated (and I think thats why) as I had 3 roos now I'm down to 2 thanks to neighbor's dog. The other 2 roos were both really good. Pretty gentle with the girls and scared of the ducks.

I wouldn't debeak (personally) but it just is something that you need to be aware of. I have muscovy so they roost just like the chickens. I used to have them together but seperated them as I was finding too many chicken feathers on the floor in the mornings. So, they were getting plucked I don't know for sure if it was the ducks too but the geese I had were tormenting the chickens. Frankly, I think they are all happier having their own areas. With other breeds of duck it may work better as they won't compete for roost space. You just need to make sure they have a sleeping area that is not under the chicken's roosts.

 

[TMarie]

Thank you for all of the info and opinions!

 

[jackhorn01]

My new coop will be very large and large enough with water in it to where my ducks won't need outside time for exercise. Will this eliminate the risk of the ai thing since they will have no contact with wild birds?

 

[jackhorn01]

Also is there a vaccine for ai to prevent it?

 

[tankerman]

My new coop will be very large and large enough with water in it to where my ducks won't need outside time for exercise. Will this eliminate the risk of the ai thing since they will have no contact with wild birds?

Water inside the coop sounds like a huge mess.

 

[Marty1876]

You don't want water for ducks inside.

You have no idea the stench you will suffer. Also, ducks are not huge indoor fans. They love to be outside.

There is nothing you can do to prevent a.i. really. It's almost never fatel, kind of like flue, they get it, they get over it. Mostly its wild waterfowl that carry it, but any bird can get it. I would keep that duck water outside for sure, and allow all your birds to come and go at will. I do still have ducks and chickens togather, but only a very small group that are all mixed breeds. With enough exterior space, there will be fewer fights between chickens. My ducks and chickens don't fight much, but one of my duck boys hurt a roo who got a bit to aggressive. In the end, a duck can and will hurt a chicken that tortures it. They are not helpless. I suppose a really big aggressive roo could hurt a duck, but my ducks chase the turkeys and geese both. I have one ancona boy who is completely fearless.

 

[jackhorn01]

Opps, I meant in the fence not in the hen house lol. I have a bad habit of calling my whole set up the coop. I have a roomy building converted into my hen house and the run will be far larger than the standard 10 sq feet per bird. Like its gonna be big. What I meant by water inside the coop was in the far back corner of the run "outside" the shelter/henhouse/coop. With the ai comments, all I have been reading was the main cause of it was wild birds in teh ducks food/water. I was wondering with a set up large enough for them not to have to leave it, if that would reduce the risk since they won't have contact with the wild birds.