juvie ducks and chickens

[chickenlisa]

I have 6 6-7 week old ducks and about 50 or so 10-11 week old chickens in a big pen. They've been in there since they could go outside. Just lately I'm wondering if they'll all be ok together-even if some of the ducks are male? I don't know what they are yet-at least some are females, but I'm not sure how many. when can I tell which ones are males? Will the males try to mount the chicken hens and if they are all too young, will anyone get hurt? What about putting my adult Swedish pair (male and female) into the pen at some point? I'd like to but don't want any hens getting hurt in the process. They all see each other 24/7, just the adults are in a separate small pen at the end of the large pen-(walls of each pen are touching.)

Lisa

 

[andischickenfarm]

I have a cousin that has ducks and chickens in the same pen and they all get along fine! I think they would be fine and I don't think the males would bother your hens. I know hers doesn't. And my uncle told me the way to tell a male from a female duck is that the male duck has curled feather by it's tail feathers. But, you have to wait until they get them feathers! And I'm not sure how long that takes. Hope this helps.

Andi

 

[chicksnducks]

I have three ducks and they live happily with our 17 chickens....at night the two big cornish crosses sleep in the duck pen and the girls go into the coop. They are all buddies....when I let them out in the morning they all hang out together.
The ducks are actually keeping the cornish crosses active....so they do not get too fat!