Chickens & Ducks

[Anonymous]

Hi
I am almost about to buy a few ducks but i want to check whether ducks and hens can be kept in the same enclosure? I intend on making them their own house inside the enclosure and profide an area for paddling.

Can anyone help as to whether this will work I would hate the chickens to pick on the ducks or vice versa.

Also how can i check sex before i buy they are 7 weeks old?

Thanks

Marc

 

[LITTLENELL]

We have had our ducks living with our chickens/cockerels for quite a while now. They have seperate night time lodgings but share the run- which is quite big. The only demo's are around food, when they will try and shoo the others away, but nothing nasty. The drake keeps his group together and cockerels watch out for his ladies...
The only way to know sex is to vent sex, I believe for most breeds unless they are auto sexing. There is a video on Youtube on how to do it by Metzer farms I think. I used it, and was happy to do it- am a nurse though! I got 1 wrong out of the 20 or so I have sexed so far. Normally it is because the boy bit does not pop out when you want it to!!

 

[daniellesdogs]

iv got 19 ducks 12 large chickens 7 bantams 1 guinea fowl and 7 chicks sharing my garden with no problems most the year. as they became adults the boys had a fue scraps with my rooster but no damage. .
iv got 4 ducklings i was told were girls iv tried vent sexing they look like girls to me too but only time will tell.
my 14 week old one has just got its curl

 

[Blue]

the ducks will make any area wet and muddy very quickly ... which chickens don't like.

we have our ducks side-by-side with some of the hens, their water is well away from the chooks & they seem to get on fine sharing one wire "wall!"

 

[peter wade]

having hatched ducks before i've found that even at 7wks if birds are picked up females make a definite quack males make a noise like they have a sore throat

 

[henry]

I have found that if you put wood chips down in the run it stops the area from becoming a swamp. I have 2 ducks and 3 chickens sharing the same sleeping area, although the ducks like the add on one i have and the chickens like the other one so they stay happy, have fun.