White racist ducks?

[remco93]

Hi all!

So I have 2 runner ducks, Lilly (White) and Peanut (brown), 9 weeks old and my aunt 3, Maarten, Guus and Teun, also 9 weeks old and white.
Lilly and Maarten we got from my incubator, the other ones we bought somewhere else. At least Guus and Teun are from the same nest, Peanut we are not 100% sure, but probably.
Lilly and Maarten have been seperated from the 1st day.

Now here is the thing. We would like to keep Lilly and Peanut at my aunt because we are going away for a few days so I came by a few times to let them get used to each other.
With Lilly it is all fine, the other 3 accepted him right away, but not Peanut. They keep on attacking him. Not all the time, but when he gets close they will go after him, only him. Does anyone know why they do that? And if it just needs time or something?

Sometimes they just sit down in the grass.. in 2 camps.. hahaha.

Thanks in advance!!
Remco

 

[0wen]

Like all flocks, it's rare that they'll take new birds without some integration practices. It basically does no good to take them for short visits and then remove them again to go home. They'll be seen as a foreign bird each time they arrive. If they're going to stay there for a while, I'd take them and leave them for a couple of weeks in a separate enclosure where the 2 flocks can see and hear each other but are unable to physically interact...

 

[Amiga]

I pretty much agree with 0wen.

Some duck folks have remarked that in their flocks, similar looking breeds tend to stay closer together, but in many flocks it does not seem to make a difference. So I chalk it up to individual ducks' personalities.

 

[remco93]

Thanks both!

I was wondering if 2 ducks have been together the first day and then were taken apart, they still recognize each other later? But I don't think so do they?

 

[0wen]

They don't unfortunately. Chickens are the same - you can hatch a batch, let them live together for a year then remove on for a month or and have the same integration issues you have with any random chicken you were to buy. Flock instincts seem stupid sometimes, but what can you do...?

 

[remco93]

Haha losers
Thanks for explaining!