Ducks Water

[PolloAdoro]

Hello,
We are preparing a duck house in anticipation of getting 3 or 4. They will have their own area with a common open space and carport shelter shared with a flock of chickens .What I am wondering is do they (the ducks) need a separate swim hole and drinking water area or will they just use it all for both for swimming and drinking? I know ducks are pigs so I imagine they will just make a mess of all of it. Do yours have separate drinking and swim water?
Another question, if you keep a few with chickens do you keep the feed separate or will they all just eat each others food? Thanks

 

[katharinad]

They will be messy and they will all eat the same food. Make sure to keep the water at least 3 feet from the food or they will make a messy mush out of it. Ducks don't need swimming water, so you can have this as an option. Best to keep it out so no chicken will drown in it.

 

[PolloAdoro]

ok, thank you!

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

I have separate swimming and drinking water. The drinking water is near the feeder, so the ducks drink from it to wash down their pellets (and make a mess

). The swim tub is across the yard, and they drink from it from time to time as well. It's a good idea to put a board, screen, large rock etc. in the swim tub to allow smaller birds to escape if they fall in accidently.

I built a nifty duck house, but after losing several to a bobcat, the survivors prefer to roost with the chickens.

 

[askjcm2005]

I got 2 peking ducklings when they were 3 days old and as soon as they started feathering and lost there fuzz I put them outside in the chicken pen. All 20 of my chickens and the 2 ducks are together 24/7! The ducks were housed with 2 baby silkies that were also to small for the cage at the time and now the 2 ducks and the 2 silkies are un-seperable and sleep together ever night. I do not put the food by the water because they did make a mushy mess and I know the chickens didnt like it. They stick there head as far into there water bowls as they can and look at the bottom of the water bowls for stuff but they also have a kiddie pool to swim in which always gets nasty but I know if they could fit int the water bowls they would be swimming in them. The chickens also drink out of the pool and 1 of the chickens even stands in the pool sometimes. I did have 1 younger silver laced polish that did drown itself in the kiddie pool though and I did have a big huge brick in there just in case.

edit: mine all eat the same food. I put chick starter down because some of them are still under 6 months old and my ducks are 4 months old. Then I put down laying mash for the chickens that just started laying.

 

[HottentotTeal]

I have a water bowl for them, but they will still use the pond to drink if they want.

 

[purr]

I have 5 ducks they roost with the chickens ,they had their own house never used it. I don't keep water in the coop because the ducks will just make a mess. So I don't keep food in the coop either because the ducks can choke if they can't wash down their food. They love the pool which is a child's turtle sand box. I have never had a problem with the chickens drowning in it because it is really shallow. Got it at a yardsale for $10. The ducks have taken over my water garden though and next year it will get a new fence and an overhaul.Sadly I did have one of my silkies drown in my watergarden . Now I have a board in there they can walk onto to get out.