New duckie and chicken owner, NEED ADVICE PLEASE!!!

[Duckies34]

I just bought 5 baby chickens probably almost a week old now, and 4 ducks which I believe are about 4 weeks (though one of my runners (I'm pretty sure that's what he/she is don't know how to tell). As of right now I have them in separate boxes, I have been told that the ducks cannot eat the chicken food. I feel like I'm not doing something right! I had one duck we had to get rid of because she was pecking the other ones really bad. I live in Oklahoma and we have some crazy weather I'm not sure when I can put them in the coop. I noticed the chicks had some poo? hanging from their butts, I did clean them with a warm rag and it seems fine now, is this normal? The ducks seem fine I have noticed my smaller mallard sneezes every once in awhile kinda makes me nervous. The chicks seem fine I think, they just sprawl out and sleep, I'm not sure how active they should be. All and all I'm just new and trying not to worry too much I've tried reading anything and everything but it's just confusing me PLEASE any advice would be appreciated!!!

 

[Megan Amber]

Calm down it sounds like your doing everything you should be! You can feed chickens and ducks the same feed as long as it is not medicated. Don't worry about the sneezing mine do that all the time! As far as the poo on the butts go that is perfectly normal as well! You did right to wash it off. Just keep watching and make sure they stay clean! Remember to take the time to enjoy your new little guy's !!

 

[Duckies34]

Ok well as far as the poopy butts I am assuming the vents are the sphincter that opens and closes, so as long as that is contracting they should be fine inside right?. I felt so bad to get rid of one of them but I didn't know what else to do, I did read later in the day to try a bigger area, I changed the bulb to a red one and gave them a little perch to sit on, they didn't like it at first and didn't go near it but the will jump over it and on it now! I noticed the biggest one will kinda peck but not as bad as the one I got rid of. I built my coop inside of my 3 stall loafing barn and walled it off to make a room. I did leave the top part under the ceiling open for ventilation I plan on putting wire up I hope itll be warm for winter, but that's a ways away and they will be grown so... but we are supposed to dip to 30s during the night this weekend, maybe even get snow, and next week its supposed to be in the 60s I'm ready to put the ducks out but don't want anything to happen to them. I'm thinking of getting a bigger area for the chicks and keeping them inside. The thing with the ducks is one runner is twice the size as the other one but I'm told they are the same age I got 2 last Friday and 2 on Monday from the feed store I get my dog food. It worries me that the runner I brought home Friday is so much smaller!
And speaking of dogs I have 3 how do I introduce them to each other?

 

[Megan Amber]

Wow..Let's see if I can answer all that. As far as age goes it sounds like the feed store lied either about age or breed. Not to uncommon! Sometimes chicks just get pasty butt ,as someone else on hear calls it!, as long as they continue to go to the bathroom then they are fine! It sounds to me like your biggest ducklings could move into your coop but only with a heat source! Did I miss anything?

 

[Duckies34]

How about dogs? I have showed my oldest the ducks and even brought it out for her to sniff. She is a boxer lab mix and have really good temperament, my aussie should be fine he's my good boy, but my shepherd mix is a little over a year and kinda all over the place, at the age of my birds I should be able to teach them to be nice. I'm justs scared of the dogs instincts.

 

[redsoxs]

Greetings from Kansas, Duckies34, and

! Great to have you with us! Best of luck to you and your ducks!!

 

[britsbantams]

I have 6 silkie chicks and my German shepherd and Pomeranian do just fine around them. At first I would only let them see them through the cage (had them in a large wire dog crate), but they soon became very familiar with the chicks and lost interest. Once they were not so excited about the chicks, I let them smell them and everything has been ok since. The chicks are now 2 months and the dogs see them in the yard all the time. My gsd pretty much ignores them and my pom tries to herd them lol.

 

[sumi]

Hello and welcome to BYC

Glad you joined us!

 

[Duckies34]

Thank you!

 

[Megan Amber]

Dogs...Forgot that one! So I don't really even let my dogs near my birds unless there on a leash. On a leash though my Carolina dog is pretty good about the chickens, wanted to smell them a whole bunch at first but then pretty much got bored. I would just keep introducing them the way you are and then decide from there!