3 new ducks dominant?

[wallawu]

Got a little tired of the 3 new ducklings jumping out of their pool and making messes in the garage. They were ready to integrate with the 4 adults this afternoon...

They're about a month old. Two runners and a 300 added to an adult 300, black swedish, Cayuga, and Welsh Harlequin.

I put the little ones in the pen and let the adults keep roaming the yard. After several hours I put a separation in the pen and let the big ones in. I quickly took the partition down and I couldn't believe it. The little ones started chasing the big ones and the big ones scattered and freaked out. I'm used to the adults picking on the young ones. I think the little ones were just excited to join the flock. It has been about two hours, and they all preened in their separate water containers. Not much chasing. Could this be it? Or will the tables turn? I'll still separate them at night for now unless I get other advice, but it seems like they'll at least tolerate each other rather than harm each other. Thanks in advance.

 

[wallawu]

Here's an action shot

 

[Miss Lydia]

Do you have a drake? That’s the biggest worry him going after the young and mating with them which they are too young for. Pretty flock!

 

[wallawu]

Do you have a drake? That’s the biggest worry him going after the young and mating with them which they are too young for. Pretty flock!

We don't have a drake. I put a medium sized dog crate in their house so we can put the small ones in that at night. The big ones are terrified of them right now. I just want to have this ironed out soon because we go on vacation a week from saturday and I don't want my brother to have to deal with all the separating and different instructions for the week we're gone. We have two cats, and two dogs on different foods, too.

 

[Miss Lydia]

They most likely will get it worked out this next week. I have 8 week old Runners with adults and the female Muscovys will grab if the youngesters get to close but nothing serious.

 

[chickens really]

Definitely nothing to worry about. Young ones when scared chase older ones away. The older ones run because the Peeps scare them.

 

[wallawu]

Definitely nothing to worry about. Young ones when scared chase older ones away. The older ones run because the Peeps scare them.

I figured it was because they move as such a tight unit that they seem like some sort of 3-headed chirping monster. They had the others scattered all over the yard when I went home for lunch. So nice to not have to worry about it this time around.

 

[DellaMyDarling]

Every duckling brood I did, had this same episode during integration. See them trying to hide from the alien invasion?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Poor dears they just don’t know if they may turn on them and gobble them up.