Chook Me!

Raising ducks with chickens and roosters?

I'm planning to get chickens and possibly a rooster but I was wondering if ducks would get along with them. They will be egg layers and I will get them when they are chicks. Can you recommend a good duck breed for eggs? Thanks! How big should the coop be? I planning to get 12 chickens and 2 or 3 ducks. Thanks!

Public Comments

1. i have no idea...but i think you shoud get turkeys, ducks, and chickens. then you can eat a "turdukin" every thanksgiving and christmas. it's a new orleans thing, and it's soooooo good. google it.
2. Ducks and chickens get on absolutely fine together. They just do their own thing. One of the best breeds for egg laying ducks are Khaki Campells or Indian Runner Ducks I personally recommend the Khaki Campbells If getting chicks rear them inside in a warm sheltered environment until they can look after themselves. Unless your planning to breed the ducks its best not to get a male as they tend to bother the lady ducks all the time and egg production will drop! Have fun with the fowl
3. Should be completely fine, in India and Asia, farmers bring up ducks and chickens together, as they provide a source of fatty meat and lean meat as well as well as their feathers. only thing to watch is when the duck has ducklings, early on the mother is very protective and so its wise to keep them apart from the roosters early on. heres a lovely article - http://www.animalintelligence.org/2006/08/04/duck-and-chicken-raise-family-together/
4. We raised ducks and chickens together and never had any problem with them , they usually stay seperated from each other unless you raise them together and if you have a pond your planning on letting the ducks get into the chickens probably follow them to it , we raised some together one time and they follow the ducks everywhere even to the pond. We have Mallards and Khaki Campbell , Khaki Campbell are really good egg layers they'll lay around 300 eggs a year per duck , ours always have laid their eggs by 8 a.m.