4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[jomo1972]

Can you keep ducks and chickens together in the same poultry house?

 

j

[foreveryoung]

Can you keep ducks and chickens together in the same poultry house?

 

j

 

i cant see why not although hens will take themselves to roost but ducks dont. i have 6 hens and 4 ducks (2 being male.) they all mingle happily but the hens go into the cube, the ducks in an eglu and the drakes get put in a rabbit hutch (with a fleece covering to insulate it a bit) at night.

 

Then allowed to mingle again the following day.

[jomo1972]

I only have one hen left as I had a flystrike attack a few weeks ago. I need to get maybe five more but I've a big chicken coop and I have an old sink in there that a duck would love. Do they need much space?

[foreveryoung]

this is what ive got, take a peek.

 

http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26114

[jomo1972]

Thats fantastic. I could just keep them in the chicken coop overnight then? They need literally nothing different?

 

How can you tell the eggs apart?

 

I am surprised at how little water they need. I was thinking of an Indian runner or two though. I want something that lays fairly regularly.

[4chickens]

I read that you can easily keep ducks and hens in the same house - just make sure the ducks aren't directly below the chickens' perches - for obvious reasons! I am just away to get some (call) ducks myself and the lady I'm buying from tells me they don't use their shed so - as long as the run is fox proof - they can just stay outside. Still going to make a little shed for them though!

[foreveryoung]

I read that you can easily keep ducks and hens in the same house - just make sure the ducks aren't directly below the chickens' perches - for obvious reasons! I am just away to get some (call) ducks myself and the lady I'm buying from tells me they don't use their shed so - as long as the run is fox proof - they can just stay outside. Still going to make a little shed for them though!

 

4chickens: yes they my 2 drake calls try to stay in their water, I wont let them, the run is fairly fox proof but I wont leave nothing to chance!

 

jomo1972: Have just read up on flystike and am sorry you lost your hens! must have been a horrid thing to see them go through. many ppl think they are just chickens!

Indian runners are fantastic, I was gonna get another 2 but I rehomed the calls. so although mixed I have a great lil group of both ducks and hens!!

one of the best moves I did with regards to pets!

we got our runners as 3 day olds and although they say that indian runners are rarther nervouse their not too bad. I normally try to hand feed them the odd treat (too much with make them fat) and they come to me calling "babies"

 

as to the eggs I think they are whiet or blue (mine are not laying. I think they feel a lil bit silker then hens eggs. and hes mostly lay beige eggs too. I think you will notice the diff.

 

good luck

[jomo1972]

Where do you get ducks?

[mark]

hi

 

Hate to be contraversial guys ,and do not know much about ducks ,but would have an issue with keeping a couple of goldfish in the tub that you have for your ducks Emma dines ,no wonder you are surprised at how little water they need Jommo .But as i say dont know much about ducks , it is just my opinion .

[jomo1972]

Sorry - I'm not sure that I understood that.

 

Who mentioned goldfish?

[mark]

Would not keep 2 gold fish in a tub that size ,never mind 2 ducks ...In my opinion.

[jomo1972]

Where are the goldfish?

[foreveryoung]

Would not keep 2 gold fish in a tub that size ,never mind 2 ducks ...In my opinion.

 

My ducks are happy enough with what water they have! Like You said " as i say don’t know much about ducks"

 

it is deep enough for them to swim in! They have plenty of ground to cover! and as a matter of fact Mark, 2 gold fish would have more then enough room! I take quite offence to what you are implying!

 

 

 

Not everyone has a pond and if you have a look at waterfowl websites (I can't actually remember the name of it right now) that sell ponds or "tubs" then they are only a little bit different

[jomo1972]

I didnt see any goldfish. Am I being really thick?

 

Dont ducks eat fish??

 

J

[foreveryoung]

I didnt see any goldfish. Am I being really thick?

 

Dont ducks eat fish??

 

J

 

Im sure they would if they got the chance lol

 

as longs as the water is DEEP enough for them to SWIM in and have ENOUGH room then it should be fine! i only have the 2 calls that mainly sit in the water and FLOAT. the runners 90% of the time in it to wash then are out and forraging.

[jomo1972]

Where are the goldfish? I've watched this several times and I can't see any.

 

Anyway, I got some new hens today to keep my surviving one company. They are pedegree hens which I've never had before. I though that would get a second hand egglu on Ebay for ducks in a few weeks. I've found somewhere that sells ducks but they only have ducklings at the moment which are really sweet but I think the hens would pick on them.

[foreveryoung]

Where are the goldfish? I've watched this several times and I can't see any.

 

Anyway, I got some new hens today to keep my surviving one company. They are pedegree hens which I've never had before. I though that would get a second hand egglu on Ebay for ducks in a few weeks. I've found somewhere that sells ducks but they only have ducklings at the moment which are really sweet but I think the hens would pick on them.

 

yes you would need to seperate them till fully grown

 

 

and theres no goldfish in there it was just one peep nit picking!!

[Duckmomma]

Hi Emma

Your ducks have plenty enough water to be happy

A cat litter tray with a few inches of water in is enough for them to bathe and keep clean, and yours have more than that

Many people mistakenly think you need a pond to keep ducks and it's not true.

I have lost count of the number of people who ask me if I have a pond for my duck and goose, and look surprised when I say No.

I even had a vet ask me, that really surprised me.

 

[Lesley]

Most ducks don't need a full sized pond to use - just clean water to dunk their heads in and enough water to splash about it.

 

We started off using an underbed storage box about 60cm x 30cm and they were fine. We now use a bigger 'pond' which needs emptying because we don't have enough room behind the foxproof (we hope) electric fenced area to make a big pond which wouldn't silt up.

 

It's nice if you do have room for a pond, and it is nice to see ducks on a pond, but it is not necessary.

[tara]

I thought this was a friendly fourm emma was just answering a question and helping another member I dont have a pond l use a childs plastic sand pit for 3 calls and 3 runners they love it and go mad when there water is changed.Emma your ducks have loads of space. They are very lucky.

[foreveryoung]

ty peeps, I hate NIT pickers and mark you aimed an insult directly at me your out of order! Ive seen your posts and it also state for the novice!! we are all learning but you were out of line.

 

and for you information MARK I had already got a bigger "underbed storage tube way before you nit picked!" and i will state again my birds are happy, healthy and have enough water that is emptied and refilled on a daily basis.

[mark]

Hi Emma

 

Boy did that get a response . I apologise ,and did not mean to get personal ,am sure your ducks are healthy and happy .Guess we now all know how much water a duck needs eh .

[Mrs Frugal]

Let's keep it friendly please .

[jomo1972]

I still can't see any goldfish.

 

Am I being really thick?

[xChicken04x]

jomo1972- Emma doesn't have gold fish in the tub, that is why you can't see them in the video . Mark was just voicing his opinion that he wouldn't even keep two gold fish in a tub that size let alone two ducks. You can stop watching the video now, there is no fish in there! Just two (beautiful) ducks. Mark was basically just saying he doesn't think the tub is big enough for the ducks and that he wouldn't even keep goldfish in there, not that there is gold fish in there.

It's a common misconception that ducks need water to swim in. They just need enough to dunk their face in to clean their eyes.

 

Ok, back to the original question!

Ducks and chickens are happy together. I found when mine first saw each other the ducks where much more up front about going into the chicken's area, I don't think they have completely grasped the whole 'pecking order' thing . The chickens just stood at the side muttering to them selves and looking horrified . The ducks didn't understand that in the animal world, your supposed to keep your distance and fully inspect the 'others' before even thinking about putting a toe on their land. They just swaned, ate their food and emptied their water .

 

xxx