Can chickens be housed with...

[Lt.Mike]

A couple of years back we had three domestic ducks for pets. They surprised me on how they came when called, followed us around and were very freindly if not quite comical. Well they were . This was before we got a fence up so after about two wonderful years one of my neighbors dogs killed them all in one night. We were heart broken.
Well we've got a good fence up now that works very well to keep the dogs out and I've since built a sizable henhouse that houses a dozen Rhoad Island Reds. I thinking about getting ducks again and am wondering if they can share the same henhouse at night? Theres lots of room as the chickens roost high leaving the 6 x 10' floor space free.
I've also been thinking about getting guinea fowl to handle the ticks out back. I figure once grown they can roam freely roosting wherever.
Any thoughts there?
Mike.

[Rudi]

Mike:

I can't give a definitive answer but I can give an anecdotal answer.

Em and I have had 100 meat kings, 25 turkeys, 2 dozen ducks (4 species), 3 dozen RIR's, some Leghorns, couple dozen Silkies, a couple dozen Aricanna's in one hen house.. but multiple runs. Add to that some Chinese Pheasants, Ring Necked Pheasants (breeder stock) and and a couple we are not really sure what breed of chicken they were.. and everybody got along quite well. On one wall of the hen house we had our rabbit warrens as well along with runs for them.

With some good planning, separated coops within the large henhouse.. you can house a number of varieties. Sure simplifies the cleanup too

[daddydip]

i've seen them together,but if i were you i would make sure that they would have some protection from getting crapped on by the chickens roosting above,which could lead to other problems.

[Lt.Mike]

Thanks guys! Thats good news. I built eight nest boxes for the hens which they will use for laying but in the evening they all settle on the wooden shelf above the boxes roosting there for the night. The nest boxes hang on the back wall of the coop. 99% of the manure ends up on that shelf above the boxes which makes for simple cleanup in the morning. I work nights so getting home at 6:30am I open up the chicken door, feed and clean up. I use a 10" spackle knife to scrape the shelf clean dumping it into a bucket. When the buckets full its dumped into a compost bin that is in turn spread out over the garden in the spring. The clean, feed, and water takes me only about 10 minutes each morning.
The ducks would probably settle in the hay under the nest boxes so they wouldn't get bombed from above.
mike.

[Phillip W. Lenke]

Mike
I have raised both together will success
The main problem is the ducks water area, feather condition, need lots of water to clean up and oil good.
It will be a mess, which will cause housekeeping problems.
Around the water area I place river rock large enough that they cannot move them , also small enough to walk over .
This keeps them from working mud holes around the water, you will have to keep the water up the ducks will work it, until it is empty.
Chickens will get pretty thirsty.
{Phil

[CapeCodCubs]

I would never ever house mixed fowl together. That is just plain dirty and nasty!!!! It is common knowledge not to put turkeys with chickens. Turkeys are really dirty and dumb animals without a clue to where to crap. They should be kept off the ground and away from chickens in a seperate house. Now with ducks and chickens...again they are completely different in the way they house themselves and what they need to clean and preen themselves. Get a book on animal husbandry or homesteading. Just my 2 cents and past experience reminding me again.

[Rudi]

With some good planning, separated coops within the large henhouse.. you can house a number of varieties. Sure simplifies the cleanup too

[CapeCodCubs]

With some good planning, separated coops within the large henhouse.. you can house a number of varieties. Sure simplifies the cleanup too

.
Didn't mean to seem harsh about mixing birds. Sounds like Rudi has a nice set up.

[RedBess]

Thats right about ducks and water. They'll play and play, billing actually, until the water is run out of the waterer. When confined in the winter the duck's water was elevated on a screen over a catch pan that had to be emptied every couple of days. And for that they had to be kept separate, bringing the water twice a day to give them a chance to drink, but just enough for them to drink, not play. I found their smell to be more nauseating, they create bigger stinkier turds. Unconfined and allowed to roam in the summer was the better time to own them, they were friendly like my chickens, but different.

[ToddW]

[quote=
I've also been thinking about getting guinea fowl to handle the ticks out back. I figure once grown they can roam freely roosting wherever.
Any thoughts there?
Mike.[/quote]

Guinea Fowl are great birds, and they are really good about staying in the area of your yard. I have friends that have some and they love them.

[Lt.Mike]

Yeah I've kind of made up my mind about getting a few guinea fowl when it warms up some. I'll probably get them from the McMurray hatchery.
Mike.