Questions many poultry lovers asked, can we raise ducks and chickens in the same coop? How we do it and should we do it or not? Well, it is practically not impossible to raise both chicken and duck in the same coop, as they are quite social animals, so they won’t be any problems raising them in a closed enclosure with crowded animals there. However, it isn’t very simple to raise both chicken and duck in the same enclosure, so you might need some help and guide in doing so.
Ducks and chickens are social animals, which means they are adapted with a social life with other animals. Chickens always have their flocks and groups so do as ducks.
There are many things you need to consider to raise ducks and chickens in the same coop. You will need to consider building a suitable coop, choosing the right feeds for your chickens or ducks, the lighting and many more. It is not impossible to raise both of them in the same coop, but you will need an extra effort in doing so. How we can raise both chickens and ducks in the same coop? Here are 6 things to consider if you want to raise ducks and chickens in the same coop a guide for poultry lovers to start their backyard flocks easily.
Believe it or not, it is not impossible to raise both ducks and chickens in the same coop
Some people believe that we can’t keep ducks and chickens in the same coop together. We can let the free-ranging during days to let them forage for their own foods but we can’t let them sleep under one coop at night. This is not true, as there are many people have tried to make ducks and chickens sleep in the same coop and most of them are working. So, it is not impossible for you to create one single coop for your mix up flocks of ducks and chickens. It is very convenient since you just need to build one single coop for both ducks and chickens. Now, let’s see on the guide of how to make one coop for both ducks and chickens to sleep.
- Sleeping nest, roosts, and floor
Chicken, especially laying egg chicken mostly sleep on the nest, roost on the overhead perch. That’s why the cage for laying egg chicken is quite different than ducks. Duck usually just sleep on the floor, resting on the coop floor. If you keep your duck and chicken in the same coop, make sure your duck not sleeping just below your chicken roosting place or your duck will get pooped. Try to separate their sleeping quarter. This is also a way to keep the coop clean of mess while also avoid any bullying that might happen in the nest.
- Water sources
Water is an essential source for raising both chickens and ducks however ducks will need water more than chicken as they are naturally a waterfowl. However, just because ducks need water doesn’t mean you need to flood the cage with water. This will make the chicken uncomfortable and stressed. Keep watering hole for ducks outside of the coop while the inside of the coop is dry and warm. Don’t forget to create manageable water sources for your ducks and chickens inside the coop for them to drink.
- Keep an eye on feeding habit
Chicken usually feed by scratching the ground and foraging anything on the ground they find. In this case, you just scatter their foods on the ground and let them scratch by themselves. It is quite different for ducks though. Ducks can also scratch for foods just like chicken but they also mostly eat by taking a mouthful of foods, diving into the water and then swinging their bills underwater, splashing it and can create a mess everywhere. If you want to keep both chickens and ducks under the same coop, you will need to consider about their feeding basis and habit so they won’t make any mess.
- Ventilation inside the cage
Keep it in mind about how you should create ventilation for your chicken and duck cage. Duck need proper ventilation as they breathe and release moisture as their sleep. Overcrowding inside the cage is also an issue. If you are planning to keep your chicken and duck inside the same coop make sure you create proper ventilation for the airflow inside the cage.
- Keep out for bullying
No matter how you train them and raise them, they are still animal. Their animal instinct has a tendency to conflict and bullying to show dominance, especially on chicken. If you keep a rooster in your cage, they can be quite a bully for any other animals there, hens and ducklings too. Rooster tends to assert their dominance as alpha rooster, no wonder if you keep them in the same cage with hens and ducks sometimes they have tendencies to bully.
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- Always keep the cage clean
This is actually essential not only to keep both chicken and duck in the same cage but it also essential for every pet owner, poultry keeper, farmer and many more. Keeping a cage clean might be quite a hassle but it is essential to keep the population inside your cage healthy, clean and won’t be any trouble. Keeping up a clean cage might be challenging if you keep both chickens and ducks in the same cage, as there will be a mess inside the cage. It requires quite good care from the owner to keep the cage clean and healthy.
It is possible to keep both chicken and duck in the same cage, as long as you keep these 6 things checked out. These things are essential for keeping your duck and chicken healthy even they are in the same cage. Some people dislike keeping ducks and chickens in the same cage because they think it will be quite hassled and many problems but the truth is you can keep chickens and ducks in the same cage and they can get along just fine. Did you satisfied with our 6 things to consider if you want to raise ducks and chickens in the same coop guide?