will my cockerel try to mate ducks?

[chickengr]

I have just got 3 muscovie ducks, 2 females and 1 male. they are still young, might be around 5-6 months old. when I put the cage with ducks in my run, my cockerel started to dance around the cage. I put ducks in the coop (that is just for them) and will let them out tomorrow. then my cockerel got so exited that he mated poor pullets like crazy. will he try to mate my ducks tomorrow when they will be in the same run?

 

[Twistedfeather]

That's one of those things that you'll probably have to wait and see though I doubt it's going to do much, still to this day I have yet to see chicken/duck hybrids. Are you worried about him tearing at the ducks backs?

 

[needlessjunk]

I have just got 3 muscovie ducks, 2 females and 1 male. they are still young, might be around 5-6 months old. when I put the cage with ducks in my run, my cockerel started to dance around the cage. I put ducks in the coop (that is just for them) and will let them out tomorrow. then my cockerel got so exited that he mated poor pullets like crazy. will he try to mate my ducks tomorrow when they will be in the same run?

Can the ducks get away? I think you are going way too fast with the introductions. Slow it way, way down. It can take a week or more for ducks to get use to each other so I would expect the same of chickens. hopefully someone with chickens will chime in.

 

[chickengr]

That's one of those things that you'll probably have to wait and see though I doubt it's going to do much, still to this day I have yet to see chicken/duck hybrids. Are you worried about him tearing at the ducks backs?

I don't want him to chase ducks at all. they are young, just moved to another home and scared. another thing I am concerned about is when my drake gets older he might be aggressive to the cockerel or even kill him.

 

[chickengr]

Can the ducks get away? I think you are going way too fast with the introductions. Slow it way, way down. It can take a week or more for ducks to get use to each other so I would expect the same of chickens. hopefully someone with chickens will chime in.

I have no room to keep ducks and chicken apart. their coops are to sleep only, made on 3 levels: ground for ducks, and 2 upper levels for chicken, 2 m2 each. not enough light to stay at daytime and no room to walk. as there is no real winter here, they are supposed to free range in a fenced area. I will spend all day tomorrow with them trying to bribe my cockerel and a bossy pullet with scratch. usually works.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have no room to keep ducks and chicken apart. their coops are to sleep only, made on 3 levels: ground for ducks, and 2 upper levels for chicken, 2 m2 each. not enough light to stay at daytime and no room to walk. as there is no real winter here, they are supposed to free range in a fenced area. I will spend all day tomorrow with them trying to bribe my cockerel and a bossy pullet with scratch. usually works.

Chicken can be real aggressive to new comers I'd be more concerned about the chickens injuring the young ducks at this point those beaks can do some serious damage, your cockeral may try and mate but chickens mate entirely different than ducks so no damage can be done other than feathers missing, Now drakes on the other hand can seriously injure of kill chickens if they mate with them which may or may not be a problem since your drake has 2 ducks to keep him happy. Only time will tell.

 

[chickengr]

Chicken can be real aggressive to new comers I'd be more concerned about the chickens injuring the young ducks at this point those beaks can do some serious damage, your cockeral may try and mate but chickens mate entirely different than ducks so no damage can be done other than feathers missing, Now drakes on the other hand can seriously injure of kill chickens if they mate with them which may or may not be a problem since your drake has 2 ducks to keep him happy. Only time will tell.

thank you.

 

[chickengr]

update: they are too scared to go out. my chickens entered their coop, had a walk around, got out. it seems there will be no problem.

here they are:

 

[Miss Lydia]

They need time to feel at home, be patient. Where is their food and water? also can you get dried meal worms my Muscovy's love them you might be able to lure them out with a treat like that.

 

[chickengr]

They need time to feel at home, be patient. Where is their food and water? also can you get dried meal worms my Muscovy's love them you might be able to lure them out with a treat like that.

their food and water are inside the coop all the time with them. they are less messy then my chickens! unfortunately no dried meal worms here but I can get some earthworms in my garden. hope they will eat them. my chicken just love them. I gave them some silverbeet and cabbage leaves and they loved it. I hope the can eat silverbeet. I have found in another forum that ducks shouldn't eat spinach. what about muscovies as they are different from the other ducks? is there anything I shouldn't give them?