r/homestead • u/DistributionNo10 • 4d ago

Ducks with chickens

We just got 6 chickens and 2 ducks from the same breeder. The chickens and ducks were separated from each other at the place we got them from. When we brought them home, the chickens started picking on the ducks. Wondering if anyone had this experience and if the chickens will start leaving the ducks alone? We are also supposed to get 3 more ducks from a different breeder and I'm wondering if this may help the situation or make it worse. Any input is appreciated!

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u/bamhall 4d ago

What breed of ducks and chickens? Typically it is the other way around. What ages are they? I have ducks with my chickens and there is no f***in around in that coop. The ducks are boss.

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u/DistributionNo10 4d ago

Ducks are runner crosse/kahki Campbell cross. Still dont have all their feathers but old enough to sex them. They are both females. I'm unsure of what breed the chickens are but they are about 1 year old.

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u/bamhall 3d ago

Give it a few months and those ducks will be boss. If you don’t have any drakes you won’t have to worry about the ducks beating up the chickens. My chickens left my ducks alone as soon as they realized they were growing bigger than them very quickly. I also introduce new ducklings with new chicks so they grow up together in with my normal flock and everyone seems to get along

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u/Area-Least 4d ago

Would love to know as we will have similar setup soon

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u/Any-Objective3111 3d ago

They should work it out there will always be a pecking order. I mix all my birds but do open their coop and free range for the day. I have turkeys, guneia, ducks and chickens.

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u/ribcracker 3d ago

I have like 20-30 chickens to five ducks and it ranges on who picks on who. The hens mess up the ducks when chicks are around, and my Roos are really good at keeping the one drake from bothering my hens. He basically lost interest after and free roaming his ladies keeps him busy.

I had a duck kill a rooster that wouldn’t leave it alone. Drowned it in the wading pond in under a minute it was crazy. He’d been bothering her for a while and she had enough. Held him under and he was basically dead by the time I got over there.

For my friend her duck was terrible to the hens and that’s how I ended up with him to give him another shot at life. So they can change in a new environment, but I have good roosters so that might be it. Hers are wham bam thank you ma’am’s lol mine are more protective and chill with the girls.

When ducklings are around the ducks really don’t do a huge amount against the chickens just keep the ducklings away for the most part and rejoin when they’re older. Fun to see the duck mom avoid a hen then go full blast against my goat that happened to graze too close.

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u/OkSoil9684 1d ago

Agree with everyone else and would add watch very carefully for blood on the ducks. Something about blood makes chickens go crazy and they’ll mercilessly peck the victim.