Just as I had decided to put my 3 year old ducks into the freezer this fall, so I didn't have to haul water to them, my granddaughter talked me into buying the last two remaining ducklings at the feed store. As they will be her "pets" they won't be eaten, and I wondered if when they are old enough, they could be in the same pen/house as the chickens? I don't use medicated feed, so no problem there, just wanted to know if they would co-habitate. Does anyone else do this? Thanks, Jan

-- Jan in Colorado (Janice12@aol.com), June 21, 2000

Answers

Well Jan, it happened to me the other way 'round:

One of my hens laid her eggs in the duck pen, and momma duck hatched and is raising everybody. We just had to intervene when it came time for swimming lessons :). This was just about 3 weeks ago, so we're keeping an eye on them all. What we have seen though is that the baby chicks have bonded with the ducks. They think they are ducks without webbed feet. They don't want any part of the chicken coop and the hens tolerate them, but that's about all.

I'm sure I'll be stuck with a huge medical bill when the chicks mature and have to undergo extensive psycho-therapy to determine just what they're supposed to be.

"If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably a chick going through an identity crisis".

(:raig

-- Craig Miller (CMiller@ssd.com), June 21, 2000.

Jan, I have a freind who keeps her duck and chicken together and they get along very well, the drake seems to think that it is his duty to protect the hen. I have been keeping one chicken and three ducks together because the chicken is too small yet to put it with the rest of the chickens. If I remember corectly we used to keep our ducks and chickens in the same yard with one of those kiddy pools for the ducks to swim in, but we had mallards, who happen to be expert flyers and they were always out of the pen; usually in the neihgbor's yard! the only concern that I would have is that if you have to many chickens and to little space they might pick on the ducks but I would give it a try and see how they fare once they are big enough. Good luck! Naomi

-- Naomi (beebedz@juno.com), June 21, 2000.

I bought some chicks, then my daughters talked me into some ducks. There is two weeks difference in age between my chickens and ducks. I put the chickens (and roosters we now know) into the pen first, as the ducks were still small.Oh, I have guineas in there too. One day, my poodle managed to get in and play with what I am sure were a bunch of squeeky toys. She killed some and injured one chicken. I took the injured chicken and put in in the warm bed with the ducks while it healed. It came time to put them all outside, chicken healed, ducks big enough. I put them out and the other chickens just acted like nothing strange had happened. The chicken that was injured though, still thinks it is a duck. She comes over when the ducks come over to get petted and won't leave until she gets petted a bit. She tried swimming (first in the toilet, so we named her T. P.) but didn't really like it, so when the ducks go for a swim, she sits on the side and watches. It is so cute!! The guineas think they are chickens are looked very surprised when they found their voices!! It was funny! Good luck with them!

Cindy

-- Cindy Cluck (cynthiacluck@yahoo.com), June 21, 2000.

Jan, We have had no problems with our ducks and chickens together except our rooster tries to mate our ducks. I don't know if anybody else has ever had this problem but our rooster was so big we were concerned that he was going to break the ducks back, so they are now seperate.

-- Renee' Madden (RM6PACK@aol.com), June 22, 2000.

Jan, Aren't grandchildren wonderful? I love mine so much and enjoy them more than the sons, but that is normal. I have kept ducks and chickens together without any major catastrophes. the ducks do make a mess with the drinking water, and my chickens like clean water to drink but otherwise get along great. karen

-- Karen Mauk (dairygoatmama@hotmail.com), June 22, 2000.

I agree the ducks make a mess out of the chicken water--so it has to be changed often--The ducks really make a mess on the floor of the chicken coop--so I have to change the straw more often. Our bantam rooster (who is very old) is the boss of everyone! We have ducks, geese & chickens that are together. We try to keep the ducks & geese in a small pen to them selves--but they seem to like to be one big family! One bantam hen went to sit this week out of the hen house, where she had hid her nest--all go & check on her--it is funny to see them go look at her & talk to her--like "what ya doing--why don't you come with us?" We have had hens hatch all kinds of eggs! Bantam hens will sit on anything & raise it! We never put ours in therapy! ha! Hope you & your precious granddaughter enjoy the ducks! Sonda in Ks.

-- Sonda (sgbruce@birch.net), June 22, 2000.

Yes theyll be fine I have 3ducks {including a drake] and four chooks in a pen and they all get along great! please send any Ideas that people may have about _MY_ new bantam hens [1 cock 2 hens] to me! :'] [: {;

from chris

-- Chris Zavia Bandelsa (cmeagher@stpats.vic.edu.au), June 04, 2001.