[jo40]

Hello
I have noticed that for a lot of people who post on here keeping chickens and ducks seems to go hand in hand.
I would like to know how big and deep a pond would need to be to provide an adaquate home for a few ducks, and which are a good breed to keep.
Thanks Jo

[Kate and her Ducks]

Ducks (well general domestic ducks rather than fancy diving ducks and the like) are quite happy with a shallow pool, mine in fact prefer their shallow paddling pool to the deeper pool I dug for them! It is also a lot easier to clean out the small pond.

[death of rats]

Call ducks which are the bantam size ducks are wonderful pets BUT the females are noisy.
We have a dustbin lid full of water in the run and a shallow pond in the garden area. If you are keeping ducks though they are much messier than chickens and possibly a little brighter. But the Females are very noisy.
Isnt this always the case though.

I'll get my coat and tin hat.

[jo40]

Thanks for replies
The pond is about 15ft x 10ft, but only 18" at deepest. It is a 'natural' pond we dug out a few years ago, used buy the local frog community etc. It doesn't have any filtration though so would this make is unsuitable due to them being messy?
It is full of well established grasses and surrounded with bamboo, which I'm sure ducks would like, but it would be a difficult area to fox proof.
I have thought of floating a small duck island in the middle but OH said the pond isn't deep enough to deter foxes.
Our chickens are protected with electric fencing but the pond area is too dense to use it there. Any other ideas?
Thanks Jo

[Foxy]

A pond that size would need a good filtration system and a pump otherwise will turn into a stagnant mess before long! Regarding fox proofing you could think maybe of cutting an area and putting a few electrified wires in.

[jo40]

It was a stagant mess for the first couple of years! Stank
Oh assured me it would clear and (I cant remember the proper terms) clean its self due to the plants etc. It is now crystal clear, has been for a few years, no odour thank goodness. 
Would the ducks use it as a toilet? We had a couple of ducks make it their home for a little while last year, they just seemed to poo around the edge, spent most of their time on the edge rather than in the water.
Because we had our dog then (a pointer) we decided to chase them away before they made a nest.
Jo

[jo40]

I'm thinking about this all wrong 
Just spent the last hour cleaning hen house, using my lads old plastic paddling pool!
Just looked up call ducks, they are lovely. The plastic pool is certainly easy to clean, could the ducks live in the same enclosure as the chickens? I have 150sq metres of protected area (by electric fence) with 12 chickens in. I have a spare ark which is only really big enough for a couple of bantams, the info I have got suggests this would be perfectly ok for a couple of call ducks. 
Are there any other consideration, can hens and ducks live in the same environment? I have a mess run that I have used for introducing new birds, would this always need to be in place?.. can chickens drown in 5" deep paddling pool, (all large breeds)
Thanks Jo         

[Foxy]

Sounds like plenty of room for a few little calls.
I have runners which have grown up with the chickens, and some  sort of hang out together,no problem at all, I keep an eye on the drakes in the spring though and I keep the breeding drakes away from the chickens. With calls they are small so dont imagine a problem, but have never kept them so cant really advise.
In the winter its all change and ducks and chickens are all segregated into winter quarters, as it isn't really fair on the chickens as the ducks can make a fair amount of mess, which is harder to manage as the grass doesn't grow back until the spring

[jo40]

Thanks Foxy

I'm only thinking of a couple as the mess is a consideration I need to be able to keep on top off! Cleaning up in the winter is more difficult, lack of daylight etc.
So;  ark
       paddling pool
       feed
Is there anything else I would need, that is different from a hens requirements?

Jo