Questions about adding 2 muscovy ducklings to our little flock

[sararoni]

Here they are:

Hopefully females but not sure yet.
I got them 2 weeks ago when they were 1 month old.
I housed them next to the coop where we have 4 chickens.
They have been living next to each other for 2 weeks.
Yesterday I put their cage inside the chicken run intending to keep them inside the cage for a while.
They managed to dig a whole and get out from below of the cage. I was very surprised to see them out in the run when I went to feed the chickens.
I couldnt catch them and stayed and watched them with the chickens.
They seemed to avoid the chickens and scared of them a little.
For about 1 hour there were no issues but then one of the chickens attacked them lifting one of them up 3-4 inches with her beck holding the duck from his back and kind of shaking it.
I yelled, went inside the coop, hit the chicken with my hand and got the ducklings out.
Now:

1. Was I right to panic or this is supposed to happen?
2. Are they too young (6 weeks old) to be introduced?
3. I intend to house them together and till the garden season ends there is no free range. The coop is 3x4 and enclosed run about 52sqft. Is this enough for 4 chickens and 2 muscovy ducks? They will free range in fall and winter and spring. Only during the garden season ( 3-4 months) they will be cooped up.
4. The ducklings free ranged these 2 weeks and did no damage to the garden. If they behave like this even when grown up I will be happy to free range them and coop the chickens. Is this wishful thinking? Do muscovy ducks tear up the garden like chickens do?

And lastly look at the below picture and please tell me the heart in the head will stay .......

Thank you very much for helping me keep this little cuties

 

[Amiga]

Aww,

I may be able to answer some of your questions. I have runners and buffs, but some things are the same for all breeds.

You were right to immediately intervene - a little shoving or chasing is tolerable, but grabbing the duckling is too rough.

Hope the chicken is okay after getting swatted!

They are not too young to be introduced if we mean placed side by side, divided by fence, with the chickens. They will need to be big enough to stand up for themselves before running with the flock, I feel.

I think the current coop is going to be too small. The Muscovies are a larger bird, I don't know if they will all be chummy enough for those close quarters. We are out of the realm of my experience, here, though, so let's see what others think. 'Scovies do roost - I don't know if they always do.

The run may be about the right size, considering they will be foraging outside the run a good bit, sounds like.

I will again let a Muscovy person answer to their behavior in the garden. I find that timing has alot to do with how well it goes. In other words, I don't let our ducks in the garden when there are tender plants, and I don't let them hang out too long.