Wood Ducks and Chickens

[BayouBird]

I am seeing a lot of great information regarding ducks and chickens cohabiting, but I haven't seen anything specific to Wood Ducks. I have an aviary for my 2 woodies, and a large coop with large run for my 6 hens. I would like to combine the two to make room for some additional gardening, but not sure how well Wood Ducks would integrate with chickens. Does anyone have any experience with this?

 

[Mo_fawaazzz]

I am seeing a lot of great information regarding ducks and chickens cohabiting, but I haven't seen anything specific to Wood Ducks. I have an aviary for my 2 woodies, and a large coop with large run for my 6 hens. I would like to combine the two to make room for some additional gardening, but not sure how well Wood Ducks would integrate with chickens. Does anyone have any experience with this?

I wouldnt suggest keeping big chickens with little wood ducks. Maybe call ducks and bantams are good companions, but not large fowl.

If your wood ducks are flighted then maybe they can escape the chickens' peckings.

 

[BayouBird]

I wouldnt suggest keeping big chickens with little wood ducks. Maybe call ducks and bantams are good companions, but not large fowl.

If your wood ducks are flighted then maybe they can escape the chickens' peckings.

They are flighted, and the plan would be to outfit the combined run with the same perches that are in the corners of the aviary. But wasn't sure given that the hens would likely be interested in hopping up there as well.

Excellent point on size. 3 hens are smaller Barred Rocks, but I have 3 largers hens, (Buff Orp and Australorp). The Buffs temperment is very nurturing, however the Australorps not as much.

 

[Mo_fawaazzz]

They are flighted, and the plan would be to outfit the combined run with the same perches that are in the corners of the aviary. But wasn't sure given that the hens would likely be interested in hopping up there as well.

Excellent point on size. 3 hens are smaller Barred Rocks, but I have 3 largers hens, (Buff Orp and Australorp). The Buffs temperment is very nurturing, however the Australorps not as much.

perhaps if the run is big enough then they could all live together.
I would place the wood ducks in a small cage with the chickens for a day so that the chickens can get used to them.

Maybe test it and remove the ducks if any brutal pecking occurs. If the ducks are terrified of the chickens then they wont go down from their perches to eat food.

 

[BayouBird]

perhaps if the run is big enough then they could all live together.
I would place the wood ducks in a small cage with the chickens for a day so that the chickens can get used to them.

Maybe test it and remove the ducks if any brutal pecking occurs. If the ducks are terrified of the chickens then they wont go down from their perches to eat food.

Yea, I think I may just go that route. Outfit a tempoary larger run to see what happens. I was just reading over the weekend through a Facebook group where most are adamantly against puttin chickens and ducks together because of the massive increase of the ducks picking up some illnesses from the chickens.