Almost a ten ago at the feed storage while we were picking out a mint of baby chicks to bring home to our farm in Virginia , my husband spot a bank identification number full of chirrup sensationalistic ducklings . “ We ’ll take two of those , too , ” he said . After being ensure by the store owner that arouse ducks was just like raising chickens , we headed home , surefooted that I could raise them successfully because I had raise chickens as a nestling , growing up across the street from my grandparent ’ farm .
However , in a subject of days , I rapidly learn that not only do ducklings grow faster and want less heat than chicks , they also have slightly different feed requirements and enjoy playing in their water , leaving the chicks crocked and chilled with nothing to drink . But after chop-chop separating them and dwell the two groups each in their own brooder and reading up a bit on duck’s egg care , I learned that it ’s entirely possible ( and dim-witted ) to kick upstairs chickens and ducks together .
If you already lift chickens and are thinking about bestow some ducks to your flock , it ’s very likely that with a few minor adjustment , you will have a duck’s egg - friendly setup in no time . broadly speaking , adding a few ducks can be as wanton as … well , add together a few ducks .
Pecking Order Concerns
If you already have Gallus gallus , you fuck that adding a newfangled flock phallus takes time and patience . Chickens take theirpecking ordervery severely and consider newcomers as threats to their places . They will bully , injure or even kill a newfangled chicken that is add together without apply everyone time to gradually get to know each other . New birds should also be quarantine for at least 30 solar day before being integrated into an existing muckle for biosecurity reason , to be trusted they are n’t tired of or perish to elapse something infective onto the others .
That said , I have added new ducks to my tidy sum without any “ getting to know you ” period . Ducks do n’t seem to vex too much about any form of pecking order and welcome newcomers quite well , and I think the wimp instinctively know that ducks are not a threat to their pecking purchase order . My chickens have never seemed interested about sharing blank space with duck’s egg or vice versa . I ’ve had flocks that let in roosters and Drake along with my distaff chickens and ducks , and I have never had any issues whatsoever present a new duck .
duck also are n’t as susceptible to many of the various respiratory or infective diseases that chickens are , so the worry about them transmitting anything to your troop is greatly minimize . I still recommend err on the side of care , though , so disjoined new ducks for at least a week or two just to be certain they ’re healthy and allow them get used to their new home slow . Keep a close vigil at first when you do mix the two radical to be completely sure there wo n’t be any bullying , pecking or feather pull , but after that , you should n’t have any issues between them .
The one elision could be add up a raw Sir Francis Drake , aka male duck , to a flock with an subsist drake , because sometimes fighting over females can ensue , so always keep a close eye any time you add male duck . Also , ducklings should never be added to a flock of grown ducks until they are nearly full grow to prevent inadvertent trample or drowning .
Communal Housing
As for quiescence quarters , ducks are perfectly happy bunking with chickens in their henhouse . Duck do n’t rest but instead nestle on the cage floor at dark . Straw is the preferredbeddingfor ducks . Being empty , it holds tender atmosphere inside the shafts , maintain the duck warm while they kip . duck’s egg can share your chickens ’ nesting boxes if they are at undercoat grade ; otherwise , ducks will be perfectly happy making their own nests in a corner in the stubble . Another benefit to add together ducks to your coop is the added body estrus they ’ll provide through inhuman winters .
I , however , prefer suffer a separate house for my ducks . Ducks are more participating at nighttime than volaille are , and I imagine the poulet get a number pissed with having their eternal sleep interrupted . Also , because ducks kip on the floor , they will sometimes adjudicate to nestle under the chickens ’ roost , which can get a little messy , as I ’m sure you may imagine ! ( immobilise off the area under the roost or using stern trays or hammocks can help with that , though . ) Ducks are also more cold - hardy , so windowpane in a duck’s egg business firm can usually be left wide open yr - round , as contradict to just cracked open a bit in a chicken coop .
duck’s egg create tidy sum of wet when they sleep , so whether they have their own home or if you do permit them bed down in your volaille chicken coop , be certain your hencoop has plenty ofventilation . If you see condensation on the inside of the window or the cage walls , you need even more ventilation to let the supernumerary wet dodging to foreclose respiratory issues or cryopathy . All window and venthole should be covered with 1/4- to 1/2 - inch welded wire , as minks , rats , weasel , snakes and other marauder are just as concerned in your ducks and their eggs as they are in your crybaby .
One caveat I should make about duck is that I never leave any feed or body of water inside their mansion day or night . They will make a immense water mess , which can potentially lead to moldy or mildewed litter and provender . The wet provender will just pull in gnawer and fly sheet and all that wetness can lead to respiratory outcome or unfit in your deal . Removing the urine from the coop requires also transfer the feed because ducks need water to swallow their feed and can buy the farm if they have access to dry provender without having any piss to wash it down .
Feed & Treats
chicken and ducks can eat the same feed . For a amply mature passel , any regular layer feed will be okay for your duck . add some beer maker ’s yeast to the provender will provide the ducks the surplus niacin they postulate for strong finger cymbals , and it ’s beneficial to chickens as well . Without supplemental niacin , duck can develop leg issues . Too much protein can also be a job for duck that tend to put on weight easily and develop quickly , though , so cutting their feed with some raw oats can help reduce the protein storey a bit , and chickens and ducks both love oats .
Because ducks will go back and forth between their feed and piddle , take a vizor full of feed and then swishing it around in the weewee , lots of provender will by nature stop up there . One way to prevent this is to move the provender a few substructure from the water supply .
Another good way to reduce the feed wasteland is to add a bit of water to the provender , so it ’s moistened and the ducks wo n’t be as likely to finger the penury to dampen it themselves . Either way , gravity feeders will get back up up by ducks , so using a regular feed tub full treatment good . Stoneware casserole dish or sturdy bowls are also just option for duck’s egg provender .
While I offer my chickens and ducks the same treats , ducks seem to opt slightly dissimilar ones . Many type of goody are enjoyed by the chickens and the duck’s egg , include mealworms , cooked spaghetti , watermelon and cucumbers , but the ducks seem to prefer leafy Green River , such as kale , prickly-seeded spinach and all type of lettuce , while the chickens run more toward ejaculate , such as sunflower , flax , pumpkin and sesame . I always ensure to offer a sort so everyone can choose which to partake in .
Drinking Water
Like all other inhabit things , ducks call for access to fresh water , but this is one area where chickens and duck differ slightly . Ducks can empty gravity containers or nipple waterer in minute and , in fact , very much enjoy doing so . to boot , duck have trouble getting their Federal Reserve note into the relatively narrow source of most chicken drinkers . I recommend instead using tumid bathtub for their weewee so they can dip their total heads . duck do demand to submerge their headland in H2O to keep their eye and venous sinus clean , and they love fish food and delicacy out of the water , too .
When you upgrade duck , the urine will never be crystal clear . duck muddy up up water faster than you may ditch and refill it . It ’s just something that you ’ll need to resign yourself to . But as long as the water is tonic each morning and the water tubful are scratch regularly to remove any algae or bacterial buildup — I just use snowy vinegar , water and a stiff scrub brush — your chickens wo n’t bear in mind sharing the duck water , even if there ’s a bit of provender or clay in it .
add a few ducks to your chicken flock is n’t hard , and your reward will be slug and grub control , delicious fresh eggs and hour of amusement ascertain the unchallenged clowns of the barnyard .
This article originally appeared in theMarch / April issue ofChickens .
