When can i put my ducks in with my chickens?

[chickenlady81]

I got three ducks today I wanted to put them in the coop with the chickens. I was wondering when would be a good time to let them in with the chickens and know the chickens are not going to attack them? I have them in the coop in a dog crate with food and water. They are older ducklings...almost fully feathered out and dont use heat anymore.
Thanks in advance.

 

[monathequeen]

I kept my ducks seperate from the chicks until they were comftortable with eachother. I had a small fenced area inside the coop where the birds could all be together but the chicken wire seperated them so there was no fighting. I let them all run together slowly and I was always out side with them to observe the behaviors.
There was some minor pecking for a few days but nothing major.

I let them get to know eachother SLOWLY and supervised them. When I saw that they were getting along then I let them stay together all the time. There will be some squabbling going on occasionally but that's natural.

 

[chickenlady81]

Well I went out to check on my ducklings for the second time today and found one of my ducks dead in the chicken run!!!
It was all a mangled mess and looks like the head is missing cause I didnt see its bill anywhere. Could this have been from my chickens??? or something else got to them. How the heck did the duck get out of the dog crate??? The other two seemed fine but a bit shaken up. I moved them out of the chicken coop for now but was wondering what everyone else's thoughts were.


here are some pic I took yesterday with my phone...Poor duckling

 

[gypsy2621]

Head missing first thoughts go to coon or mink.
Have there been any chickens gone missing?
dead with no ryme or reason?
check for small or large gaps that a coon or mink or weasel can get through.
I do not believe the chickens did this , if they had the duck would have been just dead, it would have had all its body parts so to speak.

 

[chickenlady81]

Quote:
Thanks for replying gypsy, no none of the chickens have gone missing. They are inside a barn stall and the back open's up to a fencing run thats 12 by 6 by 6 feet high. This is the inside of the barn.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/11721_002.jpg

Im just stumped that something like this could happen and nothing happen to the chickens. They were inclosed in the dog cage how could something pull its body threw?

 

[gypsy2621]

Quote:
I have to stand corrected,
Hubby said in talking with a biologist from the state,
He was telling my husband that Possum are likely more responsible than a raccoon, UNLESS you capture the coon, or seeit commiting the act.
According to the Biologist Coons are being blamed for more of the acts being commited by the Opossum.

Possum have moveable digits much like a coon and can also pull a duck or chicken through the wire.
Where as nothing else was killed or eaten his bet is on the Opossum.( hubby, not biologist)
He said that your best bet is to set a live trap and see what you catch that way you will know for sure.

I am saying to recheck the coop and make sure nothing can get in.
thre for reducing the possiblity of it happening again.

 

[chickenlady81]

Ok so this morning now I only have ONE duck!!! I move the two I had left and put them in another coop/shed and they were snug in a dog crate and inside the crate was another crate for them to nest in. This morning I have one....what the heck is getting to my ducks! any why just the ducks?? Nothing here has ever bothered my chickens!!!! AHHHH

 

[shay20]

Sounds like a weasel might be getting them. Is there any way opening one could crawl in?

 

[shay20]

sounds like your second one. may have already been hurt before you put him in the crate.

 

[chickenlady81]

If this doesnt keep my poor singleton duck safe then i think im just going to scream!