Can You Raise Chickens and Ducks Together?

This is a controversial idea, with many different opinions. There are many reasons why some say this is not recommended. In this section, we will touch on these reasons as well as our own experience.

Reasons Why Some Say Raising Chickens and Ducks Together is Not Advised.

Ducks make a mess with their water, and this can make areas damp, causing a breeding ground for diseases and illnesses
Drakes trying to breed with chicken hens can be dangerous. This can cause death in the hen.
They need different sleeping arrangements. Chickens roost and ducks huddle on the ground.
Due to sleeping habits, they need different types of housing. Ducks cannot climb steep ladders, whereas chickens can

These are the main reasons we have heard regarding the problems with raising these feathered pals together.

Our Experience Raising Chickens and Ducks Together

When we first entered the world of raising birds, we brought home five baby chicks and one duckling. Quackers had no choice but to brood with her chick friends.

We noticed that as long as we were attentive to the brooder, making sure it was dry and clean, all of the birds did fantastic. We never had any issues with illness, but boy was Quackers messy!

We have always fed our chickens and ducks the same feed. They do not seem to have different needs, preferences yes, but needs no.

When we moved our chickens and ducks to grass we made sure to accommodate their different sleeping habits. With a gradual inclined ramp to enter the coop, the ducks (because of course we got more) were able and willing to sleep in the coop with the chickens. After replacing that ramp with a steeper ladder, they were no longer able to climb it. We originally built our coop with the idea that the ducks could sleep underneath it, not knowing they would lay their heads with the chickens so to speak.

Underneath the coop gave them shade and protection of aerial predators. This seemed to work well.

We have always made sure that the feeders and waterers are accessible to both beaks and bills. We have not found one that has not worked well for both.

We also make sure that our waterfowl have access to water that they can swim in. This helps them clean out their nostrils as well. This set up does not seem to bother the chickens. We just make sure to dump the water every day because well, ducks can be yucky. The splashed water can be soaked up by wood chips.

We have never had a problem with our chickens and ducks mating or trying to mate. Since their anatomy is so different this could pose a dangerous, and life-threatening problem. This is something we keep an eye out for but have never had to deal with.

Some ask if drakes and roosters are a problem when raised together. For the most part, the chickens stay with the chickens and the ducks with the ducks. They just pass each other in the run and mind their business. So, no we have not had any issues besides maybe running each other over to get to feed.

Our Conclusion on Raising Chickens and Ducks Together

We have always raised our chickens and ducks together, and probably always will. We enjoy both types of eggs and utilize each bird for a different purpose. They live together seamlessly but we cannot say they thoroughly enjoy each other’s company. They just live amongst each other. On a small-scale homestead, this is a great option to raise multiple types of birds.

Just for giggles, here is a picture of Brownie, our hen with her ducklings she hatched and raised!