2019 Spring Ducklings are here!

[Magnolia Ducks]

Uncle Dad?
Here every duck uses every other duck as »pool float«…
Can't wait to see what hatches out of the broodie's eggs.

They only possible choices for parents are full brother and sister. Living in WV, this is a term you should get familiar .

 

[Texag87]

What breed of duck are your ducklings?

Runner drake and the ducks are pekins and Rouens so they are muttlings

 

[SailorNoMore]

Texag87 = It may be sooner than we expect. I know I said this about the five we hatched and brooded last spring but these 5 seem to jump higher and produce more poop than our original 9.

Since I was a newbie last spring, I followed WannaBeHillBillys comments about ducklings flinging poop and protected a quarter of the room with painter drop cloth before I put the four girls in the brooder. For their month in my office they never made a mess above the top of the 50 gallon rubbermaid tote. What a change this year! my four hatchlings are 3 boys and 1 girl and they seem to take great joy in who can fling their poop higher and further than the other one onto the unprotected walls. The next batch gets the plastic installed before the come out of the incubator.

 

[SailorNoMore]

I have a question for ya'll, Is it possible to keep a mated pair with the rest of a larger flock or do I always have to keep them separate so the older drake will not mate the young hen and/or kill the young drake. The girl appears to be getting along with one particular drake more so than the other two. From his actions he should have the name Daffy. In the water he moves his feet in a way to make unusual waves and sounds without moving in any direction. And he is the only one that girl will share the top of the cave with.

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

I think that's a wait and see game. My current drake only has one lady and it's fine. But I keep them separate from his two new packs cause they are only 7 weeks and I want them to be more mature. Next week they may get some supervised time together but I dealt I would want them to be four months. I've never had two sexually mature drakes before. Hillbilly would have better insight.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

@SailorNoMore - I cannot complain about how my eight (8!) drakes get along with each other. Katharina's three thugs run the show - if they're all together, if separate the have no chance against the tree drakes i got from my neighbors last year. Limpy and Erpelchen are fierce enemies, but they stay out of each ways almost 95% of all times.
And if there is a drake fight, it is almost comical: They lock on to each other and push their opponent back with their chests. It looks a bit like wrestling.
I would introduce the young ducks as soon as possible to the flock! First on a see no touch base for at least a week and the go forward, based on their behavior. Never had a problem with (older) drakes and young ducks. The young ducks are just not sending the right signals to the drakes…

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I have a question for ya'll, Is it possible to keep a mated pair with the rest of a larger flock or do I always have to keep them separate so the older drake will not mate the young hen and/or kill the young drake. The girl appears to be getting along with one particular drake more so than the other two. From his actions he should have the name Daffy. In the water he moves his feet in a way to make unusual waves and sounds without moving in any direction. And he is the only one that girl will share the top of the cave with.

Again, it all depends on the circumstances: There are several groups of ducks in my flock or 26 that seem to get along better with each others than with the rest of the flock. The four Indian Runners stick together like glue, but then their offspring likes to hang out with them too, but also with the Buff Orpingtons... The Black Swedish and the White Layers often stick together and sometime hang around with the three drakes from the neighbors.
If your ducks have enough room to go separate ways, you will see the same behavior, like one part of the flock is keeping you occupied in the front yard, while the rest is plundering your tomato plants in the backyard… And there is always room in a flock for best buddies like Daffy and his girlfriend.

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

Hmm maybe I'll try my new girls out sooner. They are Frankenduckens and already huge at 7 weeks. That would free up coop 2 for my three week olds when they turn 4 weeks because I'll need the brooder for the new duckies coming along in two weeks.

 

[SailorNoMore]

Thanks to each of you for your responses, It helps!

 

[Texag87]

@Magnolia Ducks golf ball size hail headed your way. I have one of those "Frankenduckens" too. There has to be some Jumbo Pekin in Quackers history. One of her babies is more than twice the size of one of the Rouens