A little background:
We have 3 female adult pekins. They are just over 1 year old. The reside in a beautiful 'witicha' style coop we build for them and have a large (30'x 80') run that includes a small pond we dug for them. The run is fenced in.
This year we decided to get some chickens (6 pullets). We kept the chicks indoors until they were about 8 weeks then (using advice we got from this forum), We introduced them to the ducks.
Here is what we did:
We put a large dog cage inside the 'quack shack' (as we call it). The chicks were kept inside the dog cage at night when the ducks are locked up in the same coop. In the AM the ducks are released into the run and the chicks are released from their dog cage into the coop and locked in there. (we tried putting them all in the run immediately, but the ducks viciously attacked the chickens).
We did this for 2 weeks and all was calm, since then never had a chance to get to each other.
After 2 weeks, we decided to 'try' allowing all of them into the run together during the day. At first the ducks chased the chickens and the chickens responded by chasing the ducks. Ultimately the ducks proved dominate and the chickens avoid the ducks who will sometimes leave the pond just to force the chickens to move from where they are foraging, then return to the pond quacking contently.
During the day is kinda ok, but at night there are still fights (2 food dishes and 3 water dishes), but we have 3 perches in the coop and the chickens have learned if they stay on the perch all night the ducks cannot reach them.
Maybe they will work it out...we hope.
But there is more:
Shortly after we allowed the chicks and ducks in the run together, we were 'visited' by a local hawk who killed 2 of the chickens ... the hawk was literally 1/3 the size of the chickens but this did not matter. Killed one of them with me 3 feet away in less then a second.
We purchased a HUGE nylon bird net (used for covering trees) and covered the entire run and coop. Hawk problem solved. (I recommend that everyone with any kind of airborne predator problem to get a huge bird net. They are relatively inexpensive, not all that hard to work with and they are EXTREMELY effective at keeping your birds in and others out. The net will not stop a determined ground predator, but it will slow them down a bit as well.)
But there is more:
To replace the lost chicks, we purchased 3 additional chickens. They are about 1 week younger then our birds. They are Long Island Reds (the 'old' ones are NH Reds) We bought 2 hens and a rooster (as advised by this forum, a rooster is a moderate deterrent to SOME predators). We wanted to do this now, so we can do all the disruption at one time hoping things would settle down after a few weeks and we can all live happily ever after.
Yeah...right.
Anyway, after a 14 day quarantine with medicated feed and de-wormer drops for any potential parasites (as advised), we decided to introduce the new chicks to the 'old' ones, using the same basic method: at night new chickens in the dog cage (in the coop), 'old' chickens loose with the ducks in the coop (on their perches). During the day, ducks and 'old' chicks outside in the run and new chickens out of the dog cage but locked in the coop.
It has been 1 week of this practice, and it is not going well.
One of the older chickens spends most of her day at the door of the coop 'growling' at the new chickens. I tried allowing her in the coop for a minute (supervised) to see if that would end the curiosity...NO WAY...she immediately attacked the rooster pulling out feathers, and then went for the the others. The new chickens are terrified of her. At night the ducks 'charge' at the dog cage with the new chickens inside threatening, but unable to reach them. Seems no one likes the new additions at all.
If this is not enough...another new problem has developed. Our ducks have always laid their eggs in the nesting box...all three eggs in one nest every day. How convenient! Well since the introduction of the newest chickens, only two of the ducks lay in the box...the other one will wait until she is outside and lays her egg in the grass as far away from the coop as possible.
Clearly she is not comfortable with the new arrangements. (I have added a 6 compartment nesting shelf to the roost that is elevated for the chickens to use when they become old enough to lay, but it does not interfere with the existing nesting box that the ducks use which is at floor level.)
That is the story.
Here are the questions:
1. How can I prevent the old chickens from attacking the new ones? I know it has only been a week but it seems to be escalating not getting better. In the end I think once the chickens group together, their relationship with the ducks will always be strained but not dangerous. Kinda like neighbors who do not like each other but have to live together. However, clearly the chicken on chicken thing is a big problem since I am 100% certain if I leave the chickens all loose anywhere together, I will have 3 dead chickens. How to I make them become friends???
2. How can I get duck #3 to start laying in the nesting box again? We are about to enter rainy season here in FL and an egg laid in the grass will often find itself in a puddle of mud and be useless.
I am beginning to think it was a bad idea to try replace the murdered chickens...maybe it was a bad idea to get ANY chickens...but regardless...I have to deal with the situation the way it is.
Useful ideas would be most welcome.
We have 3 female adult pekins. They are just over 1 year old. The reside in a beautiful 'witicha' style coop we build for them and have a large (30'x 80') run that includes a small pond we dug for them. The run is fenced in.
This year we decided to get some chickens (6 pullets). We kept the chicks indoors until they were about 8 weeks then (using advice we got from this forum), We introduced them to the ducks.
Here is what we did:
We put a large dog cage inside the 'quack shack' (as we call it). The chicks were kept inside the dog cage at night when the ducks are locked up in the same coop. In the AM the ducks are released into the run and the chicks are released from their dog cage into the coop and locked in there. (we tried putting them all in the run immediately, but the ducks viciously attacked the chickens).
We did this for 2 weeks and all was calm, since then never had a chance to get to each other.
After 2 weeks, we decided to 'try' allowing all of them into the run together during the day. At first the ducks chased the chickens and the chickens responded by chasing the ducks. Ultimately the ducks proved dominate and the chickens avoid the ducks who will sometimes leave the pond just to force the chickens to move from where they are foraging, then return to the pond quacking contently.
During the day is kinda ok, but at night there are still fights (2 food dishes and 3 water dishes), but we have 3 perches in the coop and the chickens have learned if they stay on the perch all night the ducks cannot reach them.
Maybe they will work it out...we hope.
But there is more:
Shortly after we allowed the chicks and ducks in the run together, we were 'visited' by a local hawk who killed 2 of the chickens ... the hawk was literally 1/3 the size of the chickens but this did not matter. Killed one of them with me 3 feet away in less then a second.
We purchased a HUGE nylon bird net (used for covering trees) and covered the entire run and coop. Hawk problem solved. (I recommend that everyone with any kind of airborne predator problem to get a huge bird net. They are relatively inexpensive, not all that hard to work with and they are EXTREMELY effective at keeping your birds in and others out. The net will not stop a determined ground predator, but it will slow them down a bit as well.)
But there is more:
To replace the lost chicks, we purchased 3 additional chickens. They are about 1 week younger then our birds. They are Long Island Reds (the 'old' ones are NH Reds) We bought 2 hens and a rooster (as advised by this forum, a rooster is a moderate deterrent to SOME predators). We wanted to do this now, so we can do all the disruption at one time hoping things would settle down after a few weeks and we can all live happily ever after.
Yeah...right.
Anyway, after a 14 day quarantine with medicated feed and de-wormer drops for any potential parasites (as advised), we decided to introduce the new chicks to the 'old' ones, using the same basic method: at night new chickens in the dog cage (in the coop), 'old' chickens loose with the ducks in the coop (on their perches). During the day, ducks and 'old' chicks outside in the run and new chickens out of the dog cage but locked in the coop.
It has been 1 week of this practice, and it is not going well.
One of the older chickens spends most of her day at the door of the coop 'growling' at the new chickens. I tried allowing her in the coop for a minute (supervised) to see if that would end the curiosity...NO WAY...she immediately attacked the rooster pulling out feathers, and then went for the the others. The new chickens are terrified of her. At night the ducks 'charge' at the dog cage with the new chickens inside threatening, but unable to reach them. Seems no one likes the new additions at all.
If this is not enough...another new problem has developed. Our ducks have always laid their eggs in the nesting box...all three eggs in one nest every day. How convenient! Well since the introduction of the newest chickens, only two of the ducks lay in the box...the other one will wait until she is outside and lays her egg in the grass as far away from the coop as possible.
Clearly she is not comfortable with the new arrangements. (I have added a 6 compartment nesting shelf to the roost that is elevated for the chickens to use when they become old enough to lay, but it does not interfere with the existing nesting box that the ducks use which is at floor level.)
That is the story.
Here are the questions:
1. How can I prevent the old chickens from attacking the new ones? I know it has only been a week but it seems to be escalating not getting better. In the end I think once the chickens group together, their relationship with the ducks will always be strained but not dangerous. Kinda like neighbors who do not like each other but have to live together. However, clearly the chicken on chicken thing is a big problem since I am 100% certain if I leave the chickens all loose anywhere together, I will have 3 dead chickens. How to I make them become friends???
2. How can I get duck #3 to start laying in the nesting box again? We are about to enter rainy season here in FL and an egg laid in the grass will often find itself in a puddle of mud and be useless.
I am beginning to think it was a bad idea to try replace the murdered chickens...maybe it was a bad idea to get ANY chickens...but regardless...I have to deal with the situation the way it is.
Useful ideas would be most welcome.
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