Long - but I tried to provide lots of detail hoping that might help for suggestions:
Need help on integrating the 2 groups when 1 duck in the new group is being a pest.
Cast of Characters:
Ally - almost 2 year old runner girl
Cadbury - almost 2 year old runner girl
Adak - school hatch, 8 week old runner girl (thought she was a boy when she first tried quacking, but she's a loud mouth now)
Attu - 7 week old hatchery Welch Harlequin
Kodiak - 7 week old hatchery runner
The new trio of ducklings have been outside since week 1. I brought 3 home from school, brought in the 4th surviving from the hatch. The following week, they went back and forth to school for a few days with me. 2 went to their new home the night before 4 more arrived in the mail. So for a day the 2 hatched at school hung with 4 from Metzer's. That night 2 Metzer ducks and school hatch duck went home with me for good (the other 2 and 1 went with another teacher).
They had a brooder on the patio.
At around 4 weeks, we put together a temp pen in the yard next to the pond. The 3 little ones hung in there on their own and were locked up in their house at night. They free ranged limited times, with supervision.
Twice - Ally was in the pool with them and swam into them to split them up. Never actually touched anybody though. We always kept a close eye on them when they got close.
At 6 & 7 weeks, we started letting them free range with the big girls while we were home on the weekend and once we got home from work during the week. Friday they free ranged the entire day together as well as yesterday.
When the 2 groups get close, Attu (the 7 week old welch harlequin) chases after Ally (2 year old f&w runner). Ally and Cadbury run away from the young trio.
I need them to get along because they are all going to be in the same duck house.
Today we put Ally and Kodiak (7 week old blue runner) in the duck house together with supervision. They stuck to separate corners. Then we added Cadbury to the mix. Still stayed separate. Then added Adak (8 week old school hatch black runner). Adak is nuts. She's beautiful, but nuts. She also stuck to the corner (and today started to chase after Ally and Cadbury when I was bribing the young girls with peas).
Then we added Attu - 7 week old WH.
Both groups in separate corners. So more peas. Ally would run to grab peas and Attu would chase after her. I know with male geese, you can push them down and hold them. I gently did that with Attu when she went after Ally. Ally then went back after Attu when I had her down. Let up, back to their corners. Did this a few times and then Attu would start to chase and then just stop. I then let them out of the duck house. Figured that was enough for close contact round 1 (we had put them all in the same temp pen for a bit during the week with supervision for short periods of time and didn't force interaction).
So how do I do this?
The big girls have no issues with the young girls (can't call them little anymore lol). But Attu certainly has issues with Ally. And she only goes after Ally, not Cadbury. Only Adak started to go after both big girls today after she saw Attu do it a few times.
We aren't in a huge hurry for them to share the same night house, but the sooner, the easier morning clean up will be...
