Mean duckling help?

harkey1995

In the Brooder
Feb 22, 2015
42
0
24
Ok so "chip" our pekin duckling keeps aggressively going after the other ducks? Like when she is digging in the bedding and another duck walks up she pecked him in the fave really hard and ran the little guy away. And when they try to lay beside her. I'd there any reason to this? And anything I can do besides seperating them?
 
She's the boss. Poultry society is frequently like 'mean girls' in school. As long as she is not drawing blood, it is normal and harmless behavior.
 
She's the boss.  Poultry society is frequently like 'mean girls' in school.  As long as she is not drawing blood, it is normal and harmless behavior.
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Ok thank you i just didn't want to see her hurt the little ones. And she is the oldest by a week maybe two. Thank you
 
Zehn was our mean girl. She eventually settled down, but it is very much like middle school. Cliques will form, they will pick on each other, then next week they are BFFs. But it is poking, shoving, fussing. If it were to go beyond that, then I would intervene.
 
Are the other ducklings able to eat and drink without her picking on them? That is a big danger as well, not just her physically harming them. Sometimes when ducklings are being bullied when they try to eat they will stop eating and then they will go downhill. The fact that the bully duckling is so much older than the others is a concern to me. Watch them carefully and make sure that all the others are able to get over and eat/drink without being bothered.

I had a duckling I raised next to my two older ducks (they're a month older). When she was finally the same size as them I took away the divider fence so they could all be together. There was some displacement behavior when she got too close to them (them nipping at her and she would move away). I figured it was all ok because they never injured her at all, but then I noticed she seemed a little weaker than usual one day. I felt her keel and she was extremely thin. Even though I had multiple food and water stations in their yard, the older two had not been letting the younger one eat! I separated her again immediately and fed her up with corn, snails, kale, and pellets too of course. She gained weight and is fine now, but I still keep them separated by a fence until I can get her some of her own friends. Just wanted you to know what can possibly happen in these situations, even if the bully/bullies are not causing physical injuries.
 
As Orca has posted the age and size difference is a significant factor. Provide multiple feeding and water stations and assure that the smaller ducklings are eating and drinking.
 
She lets them eats with no problem she only dose it when they try to lay down beside her or when she's playing in the bedding and they come over to her.
 
She lets them eats with no problem she only dose it when they try to lay down beside her or when she's playing in the bedding and they come over to her.

Ok, that's good! Just keep an eye on the situation, but it sounds like they are ok for now. :)
 

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