Can Ducks and Chickens Live Together In the Same Coop Well?

Can ducks and chickens live together? This a common question we ask and search for answers to. There are lots of combined opinions about retaining chickens and ducks collectively in the same enclosure.

In this article we are going to find answers Can ducks and chickens live together or not? They need to be saved in separate enclosures however I’ve saved my chickens and ducks collectively for a few years with only a few issues. Right here are some things so that you can think about them. Keep reading this blog.

Can ducks and chickens live together?

Yes, they can live together. Typically talking, ducks, ducks, and chickens (and most different sorts of fowl) get rather well with each other without too many points, particularly in the event that they develop up collectively from the time they’re very young and have loads of house of their coop and train space.

Maintaining Chickens and ducks Collectively

Ducks could be a welcome boost to a small farm. They lay massive eggs about as usual as chickens (click on right here to learn extra about duck eggs).

Duck eggs are glorious for baking! ducks don’t require a ton of room, don’t make a ton of noise, and may usually match properly with your current hen arrangement.

However, ducks are undoubtedly not chickens. Whereas elevating the 2 sorts of poultry collectively is actually potential, every species has some completely different necessities.

How are you going to be certain that your combined flock is glad & wholesome? The bottom line is ensuring despite the fact that each flock lives collectively, they every have what they want.

Chickens and ducks can squabble, simply as they may amongst themselves generally, nevertheless it’s the chickens that may trigger essentially the most injury with their sharp beaks.

The warning must be taken with Drakes and Cockerels as each might be argumentative at sure instances of the yr.

If they’re saved in a big sufficient space, are in a position to get away from each other, and have entry to sufficient meals and water containers, then they will often stay collectively, fortunately, going about their very own venture.

Guarantee there may be ample housing houses or present completely different housing for every. Bear in mind ducks won’t at all times put themselves to the mattress like chickens when it will get darkish.

Feeding: Can ducks and chickens live together?

As children, chickens and ducks require a distinct sort of meal. Chick crumbs and Growers pellets supposed for chickens usually include Anti Coccidiostats.

These are a drug that is added to assist stop Coccidiosis. Ducklings eat at a larger charge than chickens and consequently overdose on the drug and go off their legs and even die.

You would definitely not combine younger chickens or ducks collectively anyway nevertheless it’s value remembering their feed must be checked.

As soon as each is totally grown, they will each eat up poultry layers pellets and ducks ought to have wheat though true free-range ducks will discover most of their very own meals from greens equivalent to grass, duckweed (if out there on a pond), bugs, bugs, and slugs.

There is an excessive amount of calcium in poultry layers pellets for drakes, so be certain that what is offered for them – that is tough since an excessive amount of wheat in your hen’s diet will trigger issues since wheat doesn’t include enough protein ranges to take care of egg manufacturing in hens.

Put wheat beneath the water in a half-size bucket for the ducks. The wheat sinks to the underside and the chickens can not eat it.

This additionally stops crows and rooks from taking the wheat, which often occurs whether it is left dry in a bowl.

As you’ll be able to see from the photograph right here, my chickens get reasonably pissed off!

Drakes will regulate their consumption between layer pellets and wheat and within the winter when they’re off-lay, ducks will even eat extra wheat than pellets.

This space is quite a bit simpler than water. Chickens & ducks can each eat the same high-quality layer feed.

The one caveat is when you’ve gotten younger ducklings within the flock, they might want to have entry to further niacin.

You would like to combine brewer’s yeast into the feed to assist the ducklings to get what they want (click on right here to learn extra about elevating ducklings).

YOu would maintain a dangling hen feeder within the coop so the chickens can nonetheless use this in the evening, however, everybody’s primary feed is in an open bowl that each goose and chicken can eat out of.

Ducks can have a tough time becoming their payments in lots of hen feeder troughs, so open bowls work finest. ducks & chickens like identical sorts of treats, each will go loopy for mealworms, and each loves desk scraps like veggies & bread. I’ve discovered that the ducks are a bit pickier about what they eat although.

Housing: Can ducks and chickens live together?

Chickens and ducks might be housed collectively in the identical coop or you’ll be able to attempt to maintain them separately.

Chickens prefer to roost in the evening, so they may want locations to perch off the bottom. ducks prefer to nest in the evening, so they may want someplace on the floor stage to sleep.

When planning your coop, be certain that your ducks have someplace quiet to nest on the bottom (and make certain it isn’t beneath the roosts or they may get pooped on all evening!).

Ensure the ramp will not be too steep to get into the coop.

Chickens can navigate a steep ramp, however, ducks should not be nice at leaping and their huge floppy feet could make them slightly awkward on land. Ducks really prefer to sleep out in the open air.

If in any respect potential, offering a small door that stays open all evening, resulting in a totally safe small run is finest.

For those who do that, make certain it’s completely predator-proof on each facet – think about lining the complete flooring of the run with wire.

Your ducks should have their very own separate coop that stays open all evening, and my chickens have a coop that will get closed up in the evening. They each share an identical run.

The ducks just about by no means use their coop. They sleep within the run, often beneath the hen coop each evening.

Typically once you would exit in the evening to examine them within the hotter months, they are going to be quietly floating in their little kiddie pool that’s within the run. Check this article for more chicken coop housing tips.

Water

Ducks want the water to clean in and they’re going to quickly make a large number of chickens’ water containers.

If so, water containers might be hung slightly off the bottom on a wood tripod with perching bars simply off the bottom.

This permits chickens to fly up onto a perch and take a drink however stops the ducks from reaching the container.

Maybe the largest hurdle you’ll face when retaining ducks & chickens collectively is what to do with the water.

Chickens do great with nipple waterers or water fonts they will dip their beaks in for a drink. ducks then again have to have entry to water that’s deep sufficient for them to dip their head in.

They want to have the ability to dip their head within the water to scrub & maintain their nostrils moist, to scrub their eyes, and to combine their meals with their water for digestion.

Ducks can’t use conventional hen water fonts as a result their payments won’t adequately match within the small font opening.

They’ll use nipple water techniques, however, they may nonetheless have to have a bowl of contemporary, clear water out there for cleansing & consumption.

In fact, the ducks don’t simply gently dip their payments within the water.

They splash. They get within the bowl and attempt to swim. They add dust & feed to the water. They make mud all over the place.

Chickens don’t take care of mud and muck. They don’t like it when their water is soiled. I’ve my chickens & ducks share a water bowl.

You would scrub it out day by day. I maintain it outdoors in the coop order that the shaving inside will keep it dry. I additionally transfer it across the run so I don’t have one space getting overly muddy.

Whereas with reference to water, let’s discuss swimming. ducks technically don’t *want* to have a pool for swimming so long as they have a deep water dish.

However, they are going to be *tremendous* glad if you happen to give them a slight kiddie pool to splash about in.

It additionally may make them much less likely to attempt to swim within the water bowl (however don’t maintain your breath!).

Don’t fear your chickens across the pool. For essentially the most half, they may simply keep away from it, or perhaps will often drink from it.

Grownup chickens don’t prefer to swim, however, they will naturally float so that you don’t have to fret about them drowning in the event that they by accident fall in.

If the water is shallow sufficient, you may discover your chickens like to face the water to chill off in the summertime.

Younger chicks may nonetheless drown if left unattended close to a pool.

When you’ve gotten chicks in your flock, think about gating off the pool, retaining it empty till they’re grown, or solely filling it up when you’re around to oversee.

A small tub that may be emptied simply is commonly used for a small variety of ducks in order that they will climb in and wash or dabble within the water after they wish to.

If this water is simply too deep, chickens can fall in while having a drink and get waterlogged and drown.

Bricks on the sting of the bathtub or a ramp out of it will possibly assist a hen to get out if it falls in nevertheless it’s safer to have a shallow tub just like the one proven right here for these ducklings.

Backyard centers usually promote completely different dimension trays.

The one proven is a small one however my grownup ducks get a 4ft sq. tray that holds about four inches of water and may nonetheless be tipped up simply.

Take away

For essentially the most half, your ducks & chickens are more likely to simply ignore one another.

When you’ve got a very small flock of every sort of hen they could combine extra, however usually ducks will favor the corporate of different ducks, and chickens will favor hanging around with chickens.

My birds are free and vary collectively within the yard all day. Whereas all of them come working to me for snacks and all have fun lounging within the shade of the rhododendron bush, they maintain themselves.

I wouldn’t say one flock is dominant over the opposite and so they all appear to get alongside collectively.

On the whole, a bunch of combined women will get alongside. Add in a drake or a rooster and the dynamics are certain to vary. They may get territorial.

The drake or rooster may very well be always attempting to chase off the opposite birds to make sure his women get the very best treats or foraging floor.

All of it will depend on the temperament of the male. The one scenario you wish to take care of is having a drake (male duck) in a combined flock with no rooster.

Throughout the breeding season (spring & early summer) drakes are within the temper for love and never a lot can cease them to get the answer for can ducks and chickens live together.

It’s finest to have at the very least 2-3 feminine ducks per drake to maintain him “occupied”.

What you don’t need is in your drake to attempt to mate along with your feminine chickens. Drakes have an exterior phallus in the place as roosters don’t.

As such, feminine chickens should not be designed for that sort of motion and might be critically damaged and even killed by an overzealous drake.

When you’ve got a rooster around, he’ll maintain the hens secure. If not, simply regulate your drake and be able to separate him from the flock if he bothers the chickens.

I hope this article on can ducks and chickens live together was worth reading.