Raising Duck with Chickens

[KellyHM]

Mine is only living with the chickens right now b/c he doesn't have any buddies. As soon as he has a girlfriend or 2 he'll be in a seperate pen with a little swimming pool.

 

[burley]

I have 5 peking ducks and 16 different chickens. only problem seems to be 1 rir roo wants to mate one om my drake pekings? when things get too rough for the duck he retreats to the water. and the roo crows and claimes the land for himself. I am a commercial fisherman and when I am cleaning fish all the birds are waiting and scrambeling for handouts. when the ducks get a peice that is too big to swallow quickly they retreat to the water. The ducks used to come to the house at night but it got too messy so I started locking them out. Now they sleep down near the creek. They have great personalities and are fun to watch.

 

[keeperofthehearth]

Listen to MissPrissy.
I had 2 mallards last year & hope to get some ducks this year. We raised the ducks w/our chickens and they are really messy. Water everywhere. Even if the chickens and ducks get along you're going to have slimy dirty water that has to be cleaned up a couple times a day. The chickens will drink that dirty water and poss. get sick. Even if you just use a standard waterer, the ducks will get their bills in it and suck it/gum it all up in no time at all. We had the drakes fighting w/the rooster for dominance, pulling the hens feathers out ect. They were good boys but once they reached maturity . . . uck! We won't be housing the ducks with the chickens anymore.... too much mess and too much stress. If I had one female duck all by her lonesome I would house her with the chickens for the sake of company but that would be it.

 

[Preservation Acres]

OK folks, you've convinced me. I'll house my ducks separately.

But...what about preditor issues?? If the ducks are staying outside near a pond do you lose many?

 

[AHappychick]

Quote:
what about when they are chicks? I have noticed no matter how much I clean the duck poop is everywhere is it possible for them to get sick? Right now I have 9 chicks and 8 runner ducks together I am trying to build a ladder for the chicks to climb to a second level so they don't have to be near the yucky poopy floor. BTW they have dry bedding in a separate box which they sleep in but the floor where they eat and get water is constantly a mess (although I clean it often) Thanks in advance

 

[MissPrissy]

Consitant wet and messy and yes, the chicks can get cocci. Small chicks can develop the illness faster than adult. If you see any signs of bloody poops you know what it is.

 

[AHappychick]

Quote:
even though I am cleaning it daily I think I will take your advise and separate them now this way the chicks wont have to deal with the messy ducklings.

They are so stinking cute I can hardly stand it though, especially the ducks now that they are 2 1/2 weeks old they are so big and meaty yet totally fluffy and squishy warm lol holding them makes me giggle.

I guess I am going to the home depot to pick up some more supplies.

 

[josh]

Quote:
I had a male duck and female duck with my chickens. The only time he tried to breed the duck was when we filled the pool up with fresh water. The rest of the time it was one chicken he tried to breed. She stayed on the roost all the time. Any time her feet hit the grown he was on her. Had to seperate.