Info On Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, & Other Poultry.
Helping the world raise chickens successfully since 1995!

We keep chickens and a male peacock together in a large building/hatch to outside, aviary with wire netting 20 x 40 feet. We live on an acreage in south Saskatchewan

We now have two ducklings that grew up under a heat lamp, lived in a different part of the barn, and have been kept in a corner of the aviary with mesh between them and the chickens so they can get used to each other. One of the ducks flies over and in with the chickens. It seems to be okay. I was worried they would attack it. Ducks have been on duck pellets made into mash and are now eating the pellets. Chickens eat chicken layer in the summer and turkey grower in the winter as we were told the peacock needs the extra protein for winter.

1. Can the ducks share their food? It's non-medicated. I would like them all to live together. I always have mixed the chickens, pheasants, and bantams in past.

2. We do not heat the chicken house. The chickens just get under the chicken hood, and the peacock sits on the rafters. The ducks have an old insulated dog kennel inside their barn. Will we have to run a heat lamp for the ducks?

3. Their "pond" will freeze in the winter. Is this okay? We have heated waterbowls, but they won't be big enough to swim in. They are like large dog bowls.

Our climate is plus 30 in the summer and minus 40 in January.

Thanks.

Here are some links to older threads that may be of help.

Ducks and Chickens Together

Chickens and Guineas + Ducks

There doesn't seem to be many active Coop members who keep both, so that's why you haven't received a response.

Hi,I had one duck that lived with chickens,after we lost the other ducks. He ate the same food and had water as the chickens did. No pond in the winter. The only thing I noticed was that the longer he was with them, the more he acted like them! We lost them to a weasel, but now have a more secure pen.

yes the ducks should be fine with your chickens. Mine have been together for years. They eat the same food, have small water dishes for winter and if your worried about heat make sure they have nice bedding in their house. They will go there to stay dry and warm. Water just needs to be deep enough for them to clean their nostrils out. Hope this helps.

Mary

I've keep ducks, geese, chickens & peacocks together in the coop in winter for years here in Mt. the trick is to have high roosts for the peacocks, mid for chickens & enough space on the floor for waterfowl. I use a 6 gal water fountin that has a 1 1/2 inch lip on the base for them to drink from, so the waterfowl can't swim & get water everwhere. I also clean the area frequently & add more shavings to keep the building dry. when the weather is nice outside I fill a wadding wool or sled with water for the waterfowl to bathe in, outside. It is more work , but h the heat savings make it worth it. The birds all learn to get along well & my ducks think they are chickens & even lay in the nest boxes.

I also have chickens, ducks, and geese in the same coop with no problems. They eat the same food and share the water fine. I do provide a kiddie pool for the geese and ducks to swim in when the temp. is decent. Floor space is the main thing with ducks and geese. The chickens should be able to roost at high levels. Mary W makes a very good point about the ducks needing to be able to clean their nostrils which can be accomplished with the dog bowls.

The only problem I've had was that my drake kept mating with the hens (big hefty meatbirds). I think he actually mated a couple of them to death. The bigger ones seemed to handle it okay, but they definately didn't like it, and it was difficult to listen to, if he got started I had to break them up. I have rather small coops, so I won't put ducks with my egg birds, they're smaller breeds and I'd like to keep them alive.

Chickens, turkeys, ducks all roaming free here. Most folks around here raise their poultry the same. Some neighbors have what I have plus geese, emus, and others.