3 day old chicks and duck not getting along!

Jenifer72

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Yesterday I brought home 10 3day old RIRs I also bought one duck. I figured by them all being this young they should blend together and get along. After about 5 minutes together the chicks started pecking the ducks feet and then its eyes and beak....they then started to chase it just to peck it! I have seperated the duck from them now it is in its own container in the brooder with the chicks, they can see the duck in the container and stand around it pecking the plastic container! Is there any way to get them to accept the duck (it's so friendly) or should I just plan on them being seperated and buy another duck so it has a friend? Any help or advice would be appreciated
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Get another duckling.

First, that duckling will grow SO fast, compared to the chicks, you won't believe it. It will be like King Kong, and can stomp all over those chicks with its webbed feet, within a few days. But it's still best to keep them separate as they grow. Especially since the duckling is SO different from the chicks, and is an only, the chicks naturally will peck at it.

I put 4 chicks and 2 ducklings in the same brooder, but with a hardware cloth (meshed wire) barrier down the middle. They got used to each other that way, but the ducklings quickly grew so large that half of the brooder was too small for them within a week and a half. So, now I have two brooders in my bathroom.

Everybody is a month old now, and the ducklings are about 8 times larger than the chicks. Chicks put all their growing into feathering out at first, whilst ducklings put all their growing into getting bigger. Their feathers don't start right away, like those of chicks.

Ducks need a different type of waterer, and they'll make a mess of it the way they eat their food. This will not work if they're drinking from the same waterer as your chicks. Get a Cool Whip container, cut a slice out of the lid, snap the lid back on. That way the ducks can put their heads into the water but not get INTO it.
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I started with a cottage cheese container but it got too small for them before they were 2 weeks old, so I switched to a Cool Whip container.

Ducks need more protein at first, and more niacin in their feed than chicks.
 
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Thanks for the help! I'll try and find this one a friend then. I have been feeding it the non-medicated chick starter. Do you think I need something other than that? The little thing does eat and drink almost constantly! Not sure of the sex I figured I was just getting one and it didnt matter....lets hope the "friend I get and this one are BOTH girls eeeek! Or maybe just return this duck:rolleyes:

By the way what kind of duck do you have in that picture? Looks just like mine.
 
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