Raising my chicks with the ducks!

[Chicken7777]

Hi, my chicks are a month old now( born november 5th) and they have grown soo much, its incredible. The thing is when i first had the thought of buying them from Ideal Poultry I was in thought of also buying some pekin ducklings. Since they had sold out of them I just bought my self a female and a male(orignally two males by accident, were supposed to be two females and one male but now only one male and one female because i sold the extra drake). Just recently while building the chicken coop for my chickens to continue growing in; i put the chicks out of the brooder, and they went near the ducks, at first the ducks got scared when i entered the area but after a little while i saw that the drake and even the hen duck started to peck at one.......Now i am thinking on what i should do, because i am planning of making them live together in the new chicken coop like other people do too, but i am scared the ducks might harm my chicks and i really wouldnt like problems for them at all. So now i am at the decision on what I should do, if i should try getting close together to get used to, or if i should later decide on just selling the pair and buying pekin ducklings that are now back in stock at ideal poultry.......Would soo truly appreciate the help because its a tough decison one me. This was one of the reasons why i wanted ducklings at first so that they get to grow up together without any problems.

Well thank you.

 

[shelleyd2008]

A bit confusing...but what I think you're asking is whether you should keep them together? You should probably give the chicks an area to get away from the ducks, someplace the ducks can't get to. I don't think the ducks will hurt them, it's not like they can peck them, since they have bills, not beaks. It sounds like a pecking order thing to me. I think they just need to get used to each other. If you get rid of your ducks and get ducklings, you will just have the same problem in reverse, and the chicks will do damage to the ducklings!

 

[gritsar]

Can you create an area where they can see each other, but the ducks can't actually get to the chicks? Perhaps a temporary wall in the coop made of out chicken wire?
Let them get used to seeing each other without making physical contact and give the chicks some time to grow. Beak or bill, it doesn't matter. The ducks can still inflict some damage.
After the chicks have grown enough to fend for themselves and the ducks are used to their presence things should settle down.
ETA: I plan on doing the same thing next spring, only in reverse. I'm planning to get some ducklings to add to my menagerie. We have tons of wire pens that I'm going to use to keep the ducklings safe until my brutes aka brahmas get used to the idea. (I'm sure glad that my SO doesn't read this forum. He has no idea he's gonna be a duckie daddy

)

 

[Chicken7777]

you are completely right bill or beak it doesnt matter. You wont believe what happened. one of the chicks left the brooder( dont know how...)
and i found it next to the ducks. When i first saw them yesterday ( the chicks being close to the ducks) the ducks were afraid and both went to the side away from the chicks. Now the chick that left the brooder got pecked by the ducks without me knowing, and i did find some pin feathers bleeding, but nothing grave thank God.
But what do you think i should do, i do want to give them some time to get used to together because i do want them to live in the same chicken coop.
But what if they dont should i really decide on replacing them with some ducklings so that they fet used to the chicks from that age?