- May 24, 2012
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Hello
Please feel free to point me in the right direction if this has been covered before-I searched briefly and found some answers but not all...
We had 4 chickens (they will be three years old in May) but one recently passed away. There are 3 bonded hens left, been together since 1 day old...They free range in the day and overnight in a 4x4 raised coop at night with a smallish attached run (the run is basically only used when we go away...)...
The hen that died was my son's...and on his Santa list turned up the item "a real duck." So I have started to consider adding a duck (or 2..) to the mix (Santa would leave a certificate in his stocking redeemable for ducklings come Spring). We have a swamp type body of water on our property and I think in the Summer the ducks would quite like it here! We have some mallards that turn up in that swamp over Summer anyway...
Questions tho--do we need to change the accommodations that the chickens share if we add a duck or will the ducks be able to free range in the day and share the coop/run at night (or at least the run as it seems ducks prob won't sleep in the coop? or should we put a plastic dog kennel out there for the ducks or...?) How and when would we introduce the ducklings to the chickens? Will the ducks return to shelter at night like the chickens? and how do we keep water avail in the winter when the swamp and/or kiddie pool would freeze over? We are in MA and the coop and run are not heated...
Any advice would be appreciated-thanks a bunch in advance for any insight and tips!
Please feel free to point me in the right direction if this has been covered before-I searched briefly and found some answers but not all...
We had 4 chickens (they will be three years old in May) but one recently passed away. There are 3 bonded hens left, been together since 1 day old...They free range in the day and overnight in a 4x4 raised coop at night with a smallish attached run (the run is basically only used when we go away...)...
The hen that died was my son's...and on his Santa list turned up the item "a real duck." So I have started to consider adding a duck (or 2..) to the mix (Santa would leave a certificate in his stocking redeemable for ducklings come Spring). We have a swamp type body of water on our property and I think in the Summer the ducks would quite like it here! We have some mallards that turn up in that swamp over Summer anyway...
Questions tho--do we need to change the accommodations that the chickens share if we add a duck or will the ducks be able to free range in the day and share the coop/run at night (or at least the run as it seems ducks prob won't sleep in the coop? or should we put a plastic dog kennel out there for the ducks or...?) How and when would we introduce the ducklings to the chickens? Will the ducks return to shelter at night like the chickens? and how do we keep water avail in the winter when the swamp and/or kiddie pool would freeze over? We are in MA and the coop and run are not heated...
Any advice would be appreciated-thanks a bunch in advance for any insight and tips!