North Carolina

[NCnarrator]

We actually do keep ducks and chickens together successfully, but we have a very large run. The ducks stay out all night and the chickens roost in the coop. Strangely, though, for the last two days I've found a duck egg IN my coop IN my nestbox with chicken eggs....That has me stumped..

Maybe the chickens are stealing the duck's eggs? Or...maybe the ducks are thinking, "Hey, I'm not ready to be a mommy...I know, I'll let the chickens take care of it!" Or possibly, "Let's see the goofy human figure this one out!"

 

[Miss Lydia]

Maybe the chickens are stealing the duck's eggs? Or...maybe the ducks are thinking, "Hey, I'm not ready to be a mommy...I know, I'll let the chickens take care of it!" Or possibly, "Let's see the goofy human figure this one out!"

My chickens don't sleep in the same coop they each have their own but they share nest boxes for laying.
Quite often I'll find one of my bantams sitting on chicken and duck eggs together. won't work here though I have Muscovies.

 

[marlowmanor]

My chickens don't sleep in the same coop they each have their own but they share nest boxes for laying.
Quite often I'll find one of my bantams sitting on chicken and duck eggs together. won't work here though I have Muscovies.

So you have to keep the ducks and chickens seperate because of the breed of ducks you have? Are the muscovies more agressive towards the chickens and that is why they have to be housed seperately? Or maybe I am interepretting that wrong.

I'm pretty sure if we get ducks from the source we got our chicks from that they will be mixed breeds.

 

[ChickenWifey]

Since we are talking about other breeds with chickens, does anyone have a rabbit that lives in the same run as their chickens? We have been considering getting a bunny, but we dont know if they would do well together?

 

[NewHomesteader2010]

So I am officially freaking out...this however, has made DH's day because for weeks now he has been hounding me about buying a gun. Well today, I have HAD IT and we are buying a gun!! I just had to chase off a dog (some border collie mix) from our property and in the process of chicken counting, I have 3 that are unaccounted for. My prized rooster, Jeremy, his girlfriend, Jemimah, and Tabitha are all missing. To top matters off, the dog was spotted in the front yard and that's where all of the chickens were!! Try to imagine ME chasing a dog off...my waddle probably scared the thing more than anything. I ran into the coop (my broody is still sitting and she is fine) to check on numbers, and I have one rooster sitting on eggs in there...although I really do think he is only sitting on one...why, I don't know. I think he may have been hiding as this is the SECOND predator in our yard today!!
Accounted for are: both cochins (Belle & Olivia - my broody), Both black orps, my yellow-bellied Lav. orp rooster (hiding in the nesting box) and his girl my lav. orp. I am missing my white Maran, my 2 buff orps!!

I am praying they found a really good hiding spot in the woods and I just can't see them!!

I'd love to get my hands on that dog if he did anything to my chickens...

Thanks for letting me vent and freak out...sadly, if this doesn't send me into labor...I don't think anything will!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

So I am officially freaking out...this however, has made DH's day because for weeks now he has been hounding me about buying a gun. Well today, I have HAD IT and we are buying a gun!! I just had to chase off a dog (some border collie mix) from our property and in the process of chicken counting, I have 3 that are unaccounted for. My prized rooster, Jeremy, his girlfriend, Jemimah, and Tabitha are all missing. To top matters off, the dog was spotted in the front yard and that's where all of the chickens were!! Try to imagine ME chasing a dog off...my waddle probably scared the thing more than anything. I ran into the coop (my broody is still sitting and she is fine) to check on numbers, and I have one rooster sitting on eggs in there...although I really do think he is only sitting on one...why, I don't know. I think he may have been hiding as this is the SECOND predator in our yard today!!
Accounted for are: both cochins (Belle & Olivia - my broody), Both black orps, my yellow-bellied Lav. orp rooster (hiding in the nesting box) and his girl my lav. orp. I am missing my white Maran, my 2 buff orps!!

I am praying they found a really good hiding spot in the woods and I just can't see them!!

I'd love to get my hands on that dog if he did anything to my chickens...

Thanks for letting me vent and freak out...sadly, if this doesn't send me into labor...I don't think anything will!!

I hope they come home, NH

 

[Miss Lydia]

So you have to keep the ducks and chickens seperate because of the breed of ducks you have? Are the muscovies more agressive towards the chickens and that is why they have to be housed seperately? Or maybe I am interepretting that wrong.

I'm pretty sure if we get ducks from the source we got our chicks from that they will be mixed breeds.

Doesn't have anything to do with the breed we just felt it would be better if they don't mix at night. They have housing right next to each other with a wall separating them. Like BHep said chickens roost ducks don't so to keep the ducks from being pooped on and the chicken house from nasty duck poop they have their own bedrooms.

 

[wildriverswolf90]

NH- they come home safely


We introduced the baby goats to the dogs today. The dogs were great and super gentle and the goats thought they had 3 new friends!

 

[marlowmanor]

Doesn't have anything to do with the breed we just felt it would be better if they don't mix at night. They have housing right next to each other with a wall separating them. Like BHep said chickens roost ducks don't so to keep the ducks from being pooped on and the chicken house from nasty duck poop they have their own bedrooms.

I understand now. Could you share a picture of your set up? I am curious how it works out.

 

[Miss Lydia]

If you'll go here you can see some of the way we have it set up.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/gallery/album/view/id/6142832/user_id/42327
because we have 2 drakes and a gander they all have separate bedrooms[stalls] with doors. the girls have their own rooms and the drakes have theirs that keeps the boys from fighting. when I say stalls that means the drakes each have their own room. there is a pic of our coop on this thread too, on the left the ducks on the right the chickens. Hope this helps.