[mollymole]

  I keep Ducks and Chickens together - having problem with bossy chickens and filthy drinking water.  Ducks refuse to roost in own house and go to chickens at night.  Should I separate completely?  Chickens even wade into pond for floating duck food.  Would I be better to fill in pond, if they stay together, and replace with large bowls?  But how can I make sure ducks getting enough food; chickens grab all food like little hoovers.  (2 appleyards/2Runners)

[jameslindsay]

Hi Mollymole. As long as you keep ducks you will always have dirty water as ducks are so dirty and messy. Chooks are very greedy and will eat anything but I am sure so long as you keep an eye on things the ducks will get enough to eat. It would be a shame to fill the pond in, would love to see the chooks wading in. My problem yesterday was when the rain came on it was VERY heavy so Rosie (my old big goat) decided she couldn't be bothered walking back to her shelter so she went in the duck house, lay down and made herself at home. She lay there perfectly contented until the rain went off, she obviously has no sense of smell.

[doganjo]

Mine have always been together with no problems. I have bowls and a  plastic kids paddling pool for the ducks,with a proper drinker as well - the water in that stays relatively clean as the ducks can't poop in it.

[Cluckinggoodpoultry]

I have ducks and chickens, and just about everything else running free range around here, for the ducks and geese I have a proper drinker on legs which they love, the chickens use this too, then there are eltex drinkers dotted about the place, don't have a problem with the chickens going in the pond but I don't have duck feed floating in it. I round the ducks up on a night and they go in their seperate house and the chickens go to roost in their own houses, sometimes they share, my philosophy is so long as they are locked away from predators and are happy then they can go where they want. I feed them all twice a day and the ducks, geese and hens are getting enough feeding as well as what they get from free ranging. The drinker on legs holds 30 litres and is a good investment especially in this hot weather, might be worth a try.