I have 6 chickens light Brahma and Bielefelder, 20+ Ducks a large assortment. I don't have runners or Muscovies. I have 3 geese a pilgrim male, and 2 female Toulouse. I used to have turkeys too. They are all kept together. There is an inside area with nesting areas, branches for chicken perches, a food bowl and heated 2 gal bucket hung at head level(so the ducks cant bath in it), there is leftover goat hay for bedding(the stuff the goats decide they don't want to eat), then connected to the inside area is a fenced area with a large cement mixing tub for the water birds to bath in, and a food container, the ground is covered with stall mats here. They all go in these areas at night, and during the day they can come out have the run of everything. Our garden and orchard are fenced off for deer, so they only go in there if we let them in. We clean out the inside area as necessary, the stall mats get hosed off in the morning, the water is changed out in the morning and at night. Chickens tend to poop all over, so we have to clean off walls, etc. ducks/ geese are contained to the ground/ cement tub. Chickens tend to get into things you don't want them too, trying to nest in the goat hay feeder and pecking at the goats when they try to eat, eating any exposed foam they can find, they are not as prolific egg layers as the ducks either. Duck eggs are big, goose eggs are huge, they all taste the same to me, maybe because they eat the same stuff? Our chickens are nosier than the ducks, especially the roosters, but they are more personable and friendly. Chickens do draw blood when they do peck you, ducks at most will pinch/bruise you, and that is if it is a really defensive broody momma. Roosters will attack and draw blood, especially strangers or people that dont know how to handle them, my mother in law will attest to that. There are a few of the ducks that are friendly towards us, but most of them only care about the food I have. Ducks are a bit hardier, chickens seem to die off faster and for no reason. We have had chickens/ turkeys up and disappear and reappear weeks later. The turkey came back with little ones in tow. You can find ducks pretty easily, even when they want to hide.
