raising chickens and ducklings together?

[Jvillechickens]

We have 10 chicks and 3 ducklings, all about 6 weeks old. They have been together since they came home and we have had no issues. Yes, the ducks are messy and wet and LOTS bigger than the chicks but they all stick together like a family. This is our first venture into raising chickens and ducks, so, really, we just didn't know any better!
Here they are, all together at bedtime.

 

[kimthom66]

We have 4 chicks and 2 Cayuga ducklings that are about 1 week apart Ducks hatched May 1, chicks May 6. They are in the brooder together and the other night I thought about separating them because the ducks were getting bigger faster and messier, but they hated it! The chicks cheeped very loudly, wouldn't eat or drink...so after a few hours I put them all back together again and what a happy little flock I had!

Introducing them to my current flock of 4 grown chickens when the time is right is my biggest concern...any thoughts on that?

 

[P-Funk]

At 6 weeks the ducks should be big enough to meet the big girls. Mine are. Not so for the chicks, that's more like 20 weeks or whenever you take them off starter feed.

 

[Roby]

We have 17 chicks, and 4 pekin ducks that have been together from the day we got them. (They were 2 days old then.) At 4 weeks, the worst of the problem is the wet. We probably go through more bedding, and have to clean the brooder twice as much, but I feel that's a fair trade for them growing up together.
We haven't noticed any overly aggressive behavior from duck or chick. The ducks do bowl the chicks over whenever the water is changed, or food dish refilled, but the chickens don't seem to be in any danger, despite the size difference. At night a few of the chicks actually nest curled right up beside the ducks

 

[spicegirlchicks]

Hi! I am quite a newbie here... I just got into backyard chickens for the first time this spring. I have four (4) 3-month old Easter Egger hens out in a coop, and recently got three (3) new chicks (1 Orpington, 1 Australorp, 1 Brahma) a week ago. I recently acquired a little duckling and it now resides with the new chicks in the brooder. I think everything is going well... The chicks are currently a little bigger than the duckling and no-one seems to be picking on anyone so far.

I can't help but wonder how this is all going to work out in the big picture. I was already a little nervous about introducing the new batch of chicks to the old ones (when they are coop-ready), but now this duck too? Can it live with chickens in a coop? I wonder how it will do with the chickens (especially the older girls). Will it be lonely or grow up to think it's a chicken? Anyone have any advice on this?

 

[spicegirlchicks]

...

 

[Kimmie716]

My Colombian Rock x Reds Chickens are about 6 or 7 weeks old. they r about to go in their Chicken Coop that my Husband and I have been working on.We have been taking them outside to get used to being in there new home.But one of my chickens keeps sneezing constantly should I be worried?

 

[Kimmie716]

8 weeks old

 

[kimthom66]

Hi,

I have a somewhat similar situation here in Wisconsin. I just got into backyard chickens for the first time this spring. I have four (4) 3-month old Easter Egger hens out in a coop, and I just received three (3) 1-week-old chicks (1 Orpington, 1 Australorp, 1 Brahma). We live on a river-front property and yesterday, as my husband and I were walking along the bank, we saw a mother (Mallard?) and 2 ducklings in the river. One of the babies was upside-down and flipping around over and over in circles. The mother was quacking incessantly at it but it could not right itself and was drowning. I walked into the water scooped it up and brought it to shore. The mother swam away with her other duckling.

This little duckling was as limp as a wet noodle and so tiny. Similar to a new day-old chick size with only fuzz and no sign of feathers yet. I honestly thought it wasn't going to live for another 5 minutes. I held it upside down and water drained out of it's mouth but it was still holding on. I walked it up to the house and put it in with my chicks in their brooder. The chicks left it alone and it sat with it's head limp off to one side and it's body shaking/ shivering. After about a half an hour under the heat lamp it stopped shaking and tried stumbling around with the other chicks, but appeared very clumsy. The chicks are currently a little bigger than the duckling and no-one seems to be picking on anyone so far.

This morning the duckling seems to be doing great. It's walking a lot better, eating the chick starter feed, drinking water, and following the movements of it's new "chicken siblings". I can't help but wonder how this is all going to work out in the big picture. I was already a little nervous about introducing the new batch of chicks to the old ones (when they are coop-ready), but now this duck too? Can it live with chickens in a coop? I'd love to see it become accustomed to being a wild duck again. Hoping that having the river in the back yard will help it be a slow and smooth transition. But, until it reaches adulthood to be off on it's own, I wonder how it will do with the chickens (especially the older girls). Can it ever be a wild duck again, or will it grow up to think it's a chicken? Anyone have any advice on this?

Any info or experience is eagerly welcomed!

Thank you!

The duck will do fine with the chicks and will soon start to grow more rapidly then the chicks, once it gets big enough to move about on it's own and coop ready you shouldn't have a problem moving him in with the older gals, in fact the duck will move in before the new chicks I am sure! If you free range your chickens then the duck may find it's way to the pond and go back to the wild all of my mallards even ones purchased at feed stores would not domesticate with a pond nearby. Especially if it turns out to be a male, in search for a mate. If it's a female and you keep it in a run with the chickens she may bond with them and be part of your flock, ducks imprint much stronger than chickens I have found. My one duck and one chicken are inseparable! Hope this helps and continue to share photos!

 

[spicegirlchicks]

Thank you!