I will be getting a couple of domestic mallards soon and I would like to get some chickens after that, my question is: can they can be kept together in the same enclosure?

-- Diane (thewold@northnet.org), June 25, 2000

Answers

I've kept both in the same area, but if I had it to do over, I wouldn't. They got along just fine, but the ducks made such a mess with the water, that the chicks never had decent drinking water! Sue

-- Sue (sulandherb@aol.com), June 25, 2000.

Depends how big your enclosure is I suppose. I have a 8x16 "henhouse" built inside the barn, with a 16x16 indoor "poultry playground" on that, that they can hide in during inclement weather that is also inside the barn and a 50x60 feed lot that they can go out into when Im not home and when I am home everyone just runs around were they want on the acreage (takes some practice to herd everyone in at night). This year I will have raised over 300 mixed poultry (chickens, ducks, turkeys, and geese). I have not had any interaction problems in years past. Chickens dont seem to be able to handle all the damp and mud that the waterfowl tend to create so it is important that there is a watersource in a drier area for them and something more fun like a kiddy pool to draw the waterfowl away from the waterers designated for chickens.

-- William in WI (thetoebes@webtv.net), June 26, 2000.

i have one hen and to rouen ducks, broght them together when the chicken was about 6 months and the ducks were still young ducklings,,,took about 3 days before the chicken would quit bothering them, and now they all get along great, share the same coop and nesting areas even,,,my female duck just layed her first egg tonight,,,i live in norht idaho, its december, plenty of snow and cold, so now i need to write and found out what to do!!!! good luck im sure you will have no problems.

-- don (fordsrme@aol.com), December 18, 2001.

We have Khaki Campbells & they are the bullies on the playground. We used to keep them with the chickens but now they have their own place. The chickens are much happier!

-- Bonnie (stichart@plix.com), December 20, 2001.