[Prod]

I have 6 hens and a cockerel who all get on really well. I am thinking of getting a couple of ducks to free range with them.  I have a small, fully enclosed field so I know it will be large enough. I was thinking of getting either Pekin or Call ducks as they are the smallest(?) and, although I understand they dont really need water, I have room to put in a small pond either prefabricated or dug & lined.

What I need to know is, is it a good idea to mix ducks& chickens, if should I get a male/female, do they eat the same pellets as chickens  and any other advice welcome  Thanks

[grinling]

A lady at the allotment had chickens and ducks and a large pond. She prob fed them all chook pellets as she was lousy at animal care. Only problem were chooks don't swim and chooks do not know not to drink foul pond water, whereas ducks filter it.  We all recomended the plastic paddling pool. Ducks were quite noisy a times, esp if youths were breaking in.
Her chooks and ducks were normal size and kept apart from each other.

[Sassy]

I always kept my ducks and chooks separately although many keep them successfully together. The main reason being that drakes are not too fussy when the hormones are raging!! They do need separate housing - ducks do not perch and if kept in the hen house will get well and truly pooped on

I fed mine on chicken layers pellets and they were very good layers and I also very successfully bred from them. 100% hatch rate under a broody hen.

I chose to have a moveable pond so that it could be easily cleaned out - ducks turn the water filthy in hours and also poop in the water. I used an Early Learning Centre sandpit base - these can usually be obtained from Freecycle. I also used a plastic wheelbarrow with the 'legs' cut off - this was great because the handles made tipping the water out very easy. Also consider where you are going to locate the pond in terms of getting rid of the water when cleaning out.

Ducks are great fun and wonderful to sit and watch.

[Prod]

Thanks   I will be buying a seperate coop for them  but they will have to share the field with the chickens.  I am not sure what breed I want yet or whether to get a drake & females or just females.  Thts great idea about the wheelbarrow!!