question about ducks & chickens living together

[imtc]

I am thinking of getting a couple of ducks. Currently I have 12 hens of various breeds which would range together with the ducks in my yard. My plan was to set up a raised pond area. My question.....is it too risky with chickens to have a pond (it would be the size of a garden tub...a little deeper than a kiddie pool)? I'm worried about the chickens falling in and drowning. Is that common?

 

[Melinda35]

My chickens and ducks get along great. I do not have water any deeper than about 3 - 4 inches for my ducks to play in. I do have water troughs for some calves that is about 2 - 3 feet deep. I have never had a chicken fall in and drown. I have seen them perch on the side and get a drink. I personally don't see any problem with it.

Have fun with the ducks. They have great personalities. I believe mine have conversations and sometimes I think they are talking about me!

 

[nzpouter]

as long as you have some bricks at one side for the chickens to step on and climb out it'll be ok...

 

[donrae]

My hens free range around our pond that's about three feet deep. The surface of the water is usually low enough they can't drink from it. We've never had a hen fall in, but did lose a turkey our first year here. Such a real bummer, and a wet full grown turkey weighs a ton to lift out of the water

I have also had a pullet drown in a livestock water trough. So, I now have a "ladder" of some type in all my water containers. A depth of a foot or less, just have stones or bricks where any explorer could get herself out of the water. You'll love ducks!

 

[chicksbestfriend]

I have 9 ducks and well over 70 hens and they all exist wonderfully together. I also have a raised pond, and several little kiddie pools in the yard for the ducks and water stations all over the yard for the chickens. I have lost a few pullets in the kiddie pool (less than 2 months old), and several times have found a pullet swimming in the pond, (not by choice), but for the most part, I have had this set up for the past 6 yrs. and the incident rate has been really low. Even though I have water stations everywhere, the chickens do enjoy getting their water source from the pools and pond. I have since staged rocks inside and outside of the pools and pond to make it easier for the ducks to get in and out and hopefully a preventive measure to keep another pullet from drowning. I too, keep the water levels high so their are no accidents with the pullets falling into the water while trying to drink. Never experienced a full grown hen drowning though. I hope you do get your ducks and enjoy the heck out of them, they are wonderful.

 

[imtc]

also.....if I add small gold fish, would the ducks eat them? (probably a dumb question...lol)

 

[6chicks&aduck]

we had got 4 ducklings and 6 pullets together at a sale , the ducks all turned out to b drakes and got really aggressive to the chickens !sadly we parted w the ducks

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

I think the ducks would eat the goldfish. I know my call ducks would.