The Poultry Keeper

garyrea · Joined: 26 Sep 2008 Posts: 33 Location: hemel hempstead

hi iv just finished building project super coop and now finished buiklding a house for the ducks it sounds great but every nite when i go to put them all to bed thee ducks waddle back to the chooks house im sure they are responsible for 90% of the mesh they turn the straw /sawdust on the floor to glue .....
is it better to have ducks housed seprately ..cheers gary

Welsh Duck · Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 9:22 pm Post subject:

I always keep ducks seperate to chickens at night. The chickens perch up high and poop on the ducks below.

Not fair on the ducks as they are the superior species in my mind Wink

mojo · Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 6:46 pm Post subject:

personally i always used to keep them seperately ...you wouldnt keep cat and dog in the same kennel would you ......ducks and chickens ?they really have differant needs

james419 · Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:22 pm Post subject:

Ours live in harmony together the chicks have low roosts so the ducks cannot get underneath and we have not had any problems in 3 years -I suppose it also depends on the amount of space you have available for them all/

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2299 Location: North Cornwall

I think you're doing well just getting ducks to go in at night. Ive never owned a duck that spent the night in a house, not one. I did try to get them in when I first started to keep ducks but it never worked with my set up so they have always done their own thing. At one point I had about 120 ducks, most of them Calls. The racket they made in the night if an owl or something else flew over was something else Laughing

witsinfr · Joined: 15 Jun 2008 Posts: 32 Location: Luchapt (86)

james419 · Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 4:43 pm Post subject:

maybe french ducks are more easily trained?
Our geese have their own cabin
The runners have taken up residence with the Cayugas and mallards a little crowded but they insist
the aylesburys have their own cabin
the mullards reside in the stable at the moment with the chickens

As the light fades and we go down to put them to bed - they come off the pond and head for the correct spot - then peace and quiet.....

debcat · Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 7:45 pm Post subject:

most of mine stay out all the time,
occasionally a couple of the aylesbury's will go in the barn but that's about it
there are loads of places they can shelter though,
they spend most of the time lying in wait by the back door so they can mug you for food

james419 · Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 10:50 pm Post subject:

The reason we lock ours up is that we have a predator called a "Fouine" stone martin that live around us and they are very good killers and as we lost a number of ducks last year we dont want a repeat performance - so ours get banged up every night what ever the weather

Tony Sirett · Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 9:53 am Post subject:

mine sleeps where it wants too, most of the time it follows the chickens into one of the coups and stays there the night

Donny · Joined: 10 Nov 2008 Posts: 73 Location: Weymouth

I have to say no, I had my ducks in with the chucks for 2 days while I finished off there new abode, The warrens would not leave them alone, most times they had them pinned in a corner. I will never mix them again.

Piper · Joined: 29 Nov 2008 Posts: 4

Hello and sorry to drag up an old post.

I was wondering if chickens are ok to keep in the same shed as geese.
I onld have geese and they are fairly friendly. They have bantams in the same pond area with them during the day and dont seem to bother them. If you dont think they would be ok in the same shed I could house them in a barn that would open onth the same area but that would restrict its use a bit. It is used for orphan lambs in the spring and I am not sure how well they would get on with the chickens!

Thanks
Piper

debcat · Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 2:01 am Post subject:

I wouldn't keep them with the geese,
the barn would be fine for them,
alot of mine roost in the barn with 2 goats at one end, a pony at the other and orphan lambs squashed in in spring as well Rolling Eyes

Loudmouth Schnook · Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 3:04 pm Post subject:

we would not house them together. we used to try to shut the ducks up at night, but it became too farcical, especially in bad weather. also means we can never find their eggs...

kated · Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 2089 Location: norfolk