Can chickens and ducks share a coop for nighttime safety? Or will one species pick on the other? We've had chickens before but never ducks, and are are getting some new chickens this month, and I'd like to get some ducks as well. We have a chicken coop and I wondered if the ducks can share the space at night, or if they really need their own shelter.
Chickens and ducks?
it's really how you raise them mine are fine together. but could also depend on the temperaments of the breeds. we have buckeyes and leghorns and PBRs and Black Australorps and Jersey Giants, and they all get along fine with Muscovies and White Pekins. but when the white chinese geese come in for feed they run everyone out!. oh, and the pekins sleep out with the geese. the ducks used to sleep in there till it got corwded with little chicks that don't go up to the roost yet. ducks like floo rspace, chickens like roosts...
and i would be CERTAIN that if you get ducks that tend to get muddy, they can't get into your nesting boxes, or your chicken eggs will always be nasty dirty!
hope that helps!
tf
I have limited experience, but on 2 different occasions.....8 years ago and this year....we have successfully mixed chickens and ducks. Like tf said though, it may depend on the breed. Both times for us, we have not started with just babies....we have picked up different things at all different ages at 'critter' auctions. We have barred rocks, RIR, leghorns, americauna, and aracona (sp?) as well as turkeys mixed in with Pekin, Ruin, and Muscovy ducks and for good measure a couple of geese here and there. Both times I have noticed that no one fights....as far as ducks with chickens.....ours seem to be able to share the same space and housing and tend to stay in their own groups. I don't know if this has been helpful, just my experience with it!
Christy
I have Cayuga Ducks and White Chinese geese. They were raised with the chicks. At first side by side with the chick brooder. Later they were in a large brooder in the coop while the chicks ran around. Finally they joined the chickens. At first they both would bite any chicken that got too close. The chickens learned to keep their distance! Now I've noticed that it's rare for a goose or duck to bite the chickens. The chickens will often run under them to grab foodstuff! They're all housed together at night and loose in a fenced in area during the day.
MollyD
This all sounds promising. Thanks everyone!
on the subject of ducks & chickens [and new additions], we have a new chick in the house that our duck hatched out. i am thankful she didn't abandon her eggs, which need another week or two, and Pansy was fine to take it until i put them in the wire brooder for safely from rats, and she panicked because i wasn't catching the other seven fast enough to put in there. i think she stepped on him, he could walk before and now can't put any weight on his leg...
father is Best, hen is Sweets, so i named him/her Chocolate!
hope it makes it. really pulled my day off schedule... but, so cute and sweet! Either a brown Jersey Giant or a Black buckeye LOL
Do you think you should splint it? Or just wait and see if it is a sprain. Chocolate, Hmmm! I think you are thinking of those OEGs!
We had some rouens several years ago and we put them in with our chickens. I remember there was some initial pecking from the chickens, but I think it was just because the chickens were older and "established". It didn't last very long...the ducks settled in after a couple days and did fine. I think it helped that they all ranged during the day.
I am currently raising ducklings with chickens and chicks. My ducklings followed me into the chicken coop this last weekend. The chickens seemed mostly disinterested in them. A few hens came over to peck at them. Being the big mama hen I shooed them off. The biggest issue were my 8 week old chicks. The are vicious little buggers. No fear. I would shoo them away from the ducks and they would come right back at me. After about 5min in the pen, the ducks put chickens big and small in their place and everyone accepted each other. When I left the pen to do other work in the yard, the ducks chose to stay in. I had to drag them out hours later! I hae a varitey of chickens also. Aracauna, RIRs, Buff Orphintons, Black Sex links, Astralorps, ect! I think they will do great. Oh, they had some baby duck rouens at the feed store the other day, sooooo cute! I'm so hooked on ducks right now!
Choclate has a splint. for quite a while he wouldn't put any weight on the leg. then he started hopping! now he carefully gets around. sleeping soundly...
since i have a Jersey Giant that is coloring in Brown, i am thinking Brown Jersey Giants would be interesting.... we will see how this colors out... my buckhorn is turning Black, so no telling!
Hi tf. Has anyone been chaperoning your chickies? It sounds like they are getting out of their cages at night and partying. Black Buckhorns. Brown Black Jersey Giants. Really, now!:0)
hee hee hee....I think instead of having a tea party for them she may be setting up little ice buckets up before going to bed with teeny tiny 'cold ones' and cocktails with itty bitty umbrella's! LOL ^ _ ^
Contributing to the delinquency of a pullet!
oh my! Wonder if she has little bitty lounge chairs hiding out there so they can kick back nice and proper after a hard days work?
ROFL!
if you MUST ask... well, anyone willing to drive here can come and see for themselves.... i just got paged, looks like the cats have been playing in the baby's car seat again...