New to ducks :) A few questions for you all

[erinmichelle]

Hey all. I am new to the boards so first of all, nice to meet you! I have been reading this forum for awhile before signing up, and now I just have a few questions that I cant find the answers to!

I live in Washington State and currently have 6 chickens with a wonderfully huge chicken coop and a beautiful large fenced backyard for them to free-range. The chickens are spoiled rotten, and now me and my boyfriend have gotten 2 baby Rouen ducklings. They are about 3.5 weeks old now and are living inside in a cage with a heated lamp, water, and baby duckling food. They are very messy now, I am cleaning their cage at very least 3 times a day and they are having a bath twice a day in our bath tub (which they absolutely love, I swear they get so filthy because they know they will get a bath hehe) Although they are messy now, it is so worth it, they bring a lot of joy to us, as they are so sweet and very tame already. We open their cage and tap on the ground and both of them come waddling out to us! Also, when we take them outside for playtime, they follow us everywhere! its so cute! when we run they will run as fast as they can after us!

Anyway, my boyfriend is in the process of building a pond, we got a precast pond liner and we are going to install a tube with a valve for drainage, as our pond will be on a slight hill.

My first question is,
-when can my Rouens go outside with the chickens permanently?
-Will they be scared for their first night outdoors?
-We keep our chickens closed in the coop at night time. Can the ducks sleep with the chickens? the coop is huge, i was going to build a bed for the ducks since the ducks sleep up top.

My next question is about one of my Rouens appearance! It has a tuft of feathers on the top of her head! it looks exactly like a baby crested duckling or something, but is obviously a Rouen!

 

[erinmichelle]

you can kind of see the tuft on the duck in this pic. its on the left duckling. it has gotten larger with age.

and here are some pictures just for fun

they love getting a blow dry after the bath!! ever since the first day i brought them home

they have such giant chests!

 

[gryeyes]

I put my 2 Cayugas outside full time at 8 wks; other folks may do it earlier. They grow SO fast!! I also made a duck house for them, but they prefer to go into the chicken coop at night with the chickens.

Which is okay, because some of the chickens have taken over the duck house to lay their eggs.

 

[MysticalMom]

Quote:
Welcome to BYC. I'm relatively knew to the boards too. Maybe a year in or so... Everyone here is so friendly and knowledgeable and I can honestly say I learned everything I know about ducks from BYC. ( I don't keep chickens)

First can I say that I loved that you asked if they'd be scared their first night out.

That was so sweet and I know you'll fit right in with all us crazy duck ladies and gentlemen.

I might not be an expert but I can tell ya whats worked for me so far. I put my ducks out permanently when they are completely feathered ( usually about 6 weeks or so) I work them outside gradually day by day in a little temporary pen made from chicken wire if I cant be out there or following me around if I can be ... starting at about 3 weeks of age until we finally take the big plunge and leave them out for the night. I have a separate house for the younger ducks at first until they get bigger before I move them in to the big pen and house with the big ducks. ( I don't know if this step is necessary but I do it to protect them. And because it makes me feel better. Someone more knowledgeable may be able to tell you if I'm wasting my time with this one.) Anyway, I think that first night is harder on me than on them. I've raised most of my ducks from the egg or at least day olds, and all of them have seemed mostly ready by the time I left them out. Oh I was wreck.... but they always seemed fine the next morning and no worse for wear. All of my ducks free range during the day and even the newbies always seem to know what to do and never miss a step.

Even if they can't behave and get a wing pulled here and there.

Oh and I have friends whose ducks sleep in the same house with their chickens... but it's the ducks who choose to sleep on the floor not the chickens. The chicken sleep and lay up off the floor on what I call the chicken shelves.

I love that little "Crested" Rouen.

( I have new Rouens too. 8 weeks old now, being raised with 8 week old Black Swedish. They think they rule my yard already and are even brave enough to try and chase down the old muscovy girls.

 

[erinmichelle]

so my Rouen duck with have a crest?? how cute! does anyone have pictures of a Rouen duck with a crest? or know what color the crest will be? Also, when the ducks go outside, should I take all of the food and water out of the coop at night so they dont make a huge mess in the coop? they will be in with the hen chickens, and they dont make that much of a mess. Also our pond is coming along nicely! I will post pictures when its finished.

 

[duckgirl_19]

there adorable

 

[lovemeduckins]

Sorry I have no answers to your questions as we only have ducks... but I LOVE the blow drying!

That is so awesome.

 

[Amiga]

-when can my Rouens go outside with the chickens permanently?

For my runners, I watched the nighttime temperatures. Last night it was in the 50s F, so they spent the night outside (more on that soon). But this weekend, it is looking like the temperatures will be dropping toward freezing, so we will have a few nights back inside the house (we have a puppy playpen lined with 6 mil plastic, with towels on the floor. They are now 10 weeks old - I had planned to consider having them outside at about 8 weeks, but the weather changed that plan


-Will they be scared for their first night outdoors?

If they have already spent daytime in their outdoor shelter, and had treats and pleasant experiences there, I don't think so. Stick with some kind of routine that you begin while they are still inside at night, and that will help. My ducks LOVE routine.


-We keep our chickens closed in the coop at night time. Can the ducks sleep with the chickens? the coop is huge, i was going to build a bed for the ducks since the ducks sleep up top.

That is going to depend on your birds. Many people have mixed flocks that work, many don't. Water sharing is a big topic - chickens hate water that has been messed by ducks, from what I hear, so then you need to figure out how to have water that chickens can get to, but ducks cannot . . . . . .