New member starting a small flock

[Pork Pie]

Hi Dave and welcome to BYC. Here are some helpful links:

• Great go-to resource - Articles
• Insightful feedback on how members manage their flocks - Topic of the Week back-catalogue
• Good link to read before building a coop / run - Space requirements

Best wishes

Pork Pie

 

[David Barkey]

Hi Dave, thanks for joining us!



Are you wondering if the chickens and ducks will get along together?

yes , I am hoping to get them to coexist in the coop together . So much information out there , trying to sift though it all right now. Not knowing all the right questions to query yet or the name of some of the stuff hinders me at times , but muddling my way through .
Dave

 

[sourland]

yes , I am hoping to get them to coexist in the coop together . So much information out there , trying to sift though it all right now. Not knowing all the right questions to query yet or the name of some of the stuff hinders me at times , but muddling my way through .
Dave

Problems sometimes arise when male ducks raised with chicken hens imprint on them, and start breeding them. Drakes have penises - roosters do not. Drakes breeding chicken hens can injure/kill them.

 

[rjohns39]

Hi Dave and welcome to BYC We're so happy you've decided to join us

 

[featherhead007]

Hi Dave. I'm hoping your birds like apples!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hello Dave great to have you here. All the best with your new flock.

 

[chrissynemetz]

Hello Dave, welcome to BYC! It's so nice to meet you!
It's generally easier to keep ducks and chickens in separate enclosures. Besides the problem of drakes trying to mate the chickens, ducks love playing in their water and can be quite messy. Good luck with your new flock! I hope you enjoy them!

 

[David Barkey]

Hi everyone , we live about 1.5 hours north of Toronto Canada near Georgian Bay . Have 2 acres rural , with mature apple trees perennial gardens and large veg patch . We have on order from the local breeders 6 Red Sex Links and 4 Indian Runner ducks . An oldtimer gave us his old coop . With an old portable garage frame and some wire mesh we have a coop and run . Put this all in place last fall and transplanted vines all around the outside to grow up and over providing shade , protection and many bare fruit for them to eat . Well that is the plan anyways . I will allow them to free range once the back is better fenced off and the garden is established . All thoughts and advice is appreciated as we have not tended a flock since we were kids .
Thank Dave

Update on progress .
Built a second Coop and Run same as the other an a coop made from old insulated garage door panels . They are beside each other . Fenced in a large area around the veg gardens for free ranging . We started with 3 Runners and recently added 2 more of the same age giving us 2 Drakes and 3 Ducks of fun . Our 6 Hens and new Roo are settled in well . We have had to split the time free ranging because the hens attacked the ducks before we got the Roo . We are hoping that he will keep them inline , but do not let the out together with out 2 of us out there just in case . We have been training the birds where to find the bugs on the plants and eat the weeds not the plants . Once the tomatoes started to ripen we had the fence the chicken out of that area . So the ducks have the one half to free range and chickens have the other . The birds will follow us around the garden waiting for us to throw them the bugs they can't reach. Despite the learning curve , it has been a lot of fun .
Dave

 

[Miss Lydia]

Can we see pictures?

 

[David Barkey]

Can we see pictures?

Can we see pictures?

Can we see pictures?