raising chickens with ducks'

[chickenbreeder]

Hello I was just wondering I have 16 chickens I have a huge pen it Is really a green house but it is very big but I was just wondering if anyone new that if you raised chickens with ducks that the chickens would get black feet.

the chickens are only locked up with the duck's at night and during the day they are out playing and munching on bugs so I was just wondering if this was true that the chickens would get black feet because of the chickens.

 

[Going Quackers]

I Have never heard of such a thing, my big chickens free range with my ducks.. they are very healthy and quite happy. I dislike how they kick the bedding out of the duck barn however, darn digging/scratching chickens!

 

[chickenbreeder]

okay yeah great I have been told that so I thought to ask on here LOL where people know a lot more then what the person told me.

so yeah I am happy with these answer's so thank you..

 

[The Yakima Kid]

The ducks will splash the water and soak the bedding, which is very unhealthy for the chicks. Ducklings love to splash water all day long.

 

[chickenbreeder]

they don't have a pond in there pen they just have a bucket in during the night time which they don't splash in just drink out of. during the day they have tons of puddles and water every where out side where they can splash and play in which they love to do. I believe they know that the bucket of water that is in there pen that is for drinking water and the water out side water is playing and splashing water as their pen is not wet or soaked in the morning I check and make sure.

I have to clean it tomorrow but there pen is not soaked with water. but they have tons of play and splash out side and I think during the night they are tuckered out and tired of playing around and sleepy as they are all out during the day all day long and they all waddle back to the pen.

 

[donrae]

I don't know what "black feet" is?

My thought is it's something that could happen from not enough space and too much moisture. I've had ducks with my layer flock for probably 7 years and no issues, but I was either free ranging or have lots of space. I have no water in the actual coop, the chicken waterer and kiddie pool for the ducks are out in the run. I'm in the PNW, so keeping dry is already a challenge!

My biggest issue is keeping an eye on the drakes to be sure they're not too aggressive with my laying hens. I've only had Rouens, don't know if they're more aggressive than other breeds, but had to get rid of one as he was too aggressive with my hens.

 

[chickenbreeder]

yeah I have a lot of space for them in the pen we use to have 8 goats in the large pen so it is a lot of space for 27 birds to live in at night. I have to buy them there feeder and water when we get paid for right now I just have a bucket for water and 2 dishes for there feed. they don't even touch the water at night they are tuckered out tired so I probably don't need the bucket in there during the night I will probably take it out.

I only had the bucket in there as I had to pen them up for 4 days for them to figure out this is there home and here is where you get fed so I probably don't need the bucket in the pen anymore.

The Muscovy ducks were raised with 30 Rhode island red hens so they don't care about the chickens that much. but yeah I have a lot of space for them at night time they live in a large pen.

but yeah that sounds great that I can have my duck's with my chickens.


thanks for all the information.

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

I have had ducks living with my chickens ever since they were chicks and ducklings. They seem to get along just fine.

 

[chickenbreeder]

thank you yeah I have gotten a lot of reply's from this site and I enjoy talking with people who love talking about chickens and duck's LOL.