Adding ducklings to established drakes.

[smalltime hobby]

I have 6 adult drakes and a shipment of ducklings coming next Monday. How long will I need to separate them? (This is my first year with ducks). I have heard of drakes being mean. Also, how much room do the little ones need for the first few weeks?

 

[Mrs.H]

Ducks grow quick and need a lot of space. I would not put them in with your drakes until they are about full grown. However how many are you getting in your shipment? Are they all female? That's alot of drakes, and mating can be brutal if they don't have enough females. Are you keeping the ducklings inside or outside?

 

[smalltime hobby]

Ducklings will be kept inside. For the very beginning I built a special brooder for them. It's about 4x8. When they outgrow that, they will have a 24x15 area to grow more. During this time, the drakes will be in the outside area which is 50x24. Eventually, I'd like them all to have free reign of both areas. I am getting 20 Ducklings. I honestly dont want my drakes mating them. Should I build another aviary for the adults so I can keep them separate?

 

[jak2002003]

Ducklings will be kept inside. For the very beginning I built a special brooder for them. It's about 4x8. When they outgrow that, they will have a 24x15 area to grow more. During this time, the drakes will be in the outside area which is 50x24. Eventually, I'd like them all to have free reign of both areas. I am getting 20 Ducklings. I honestly dont want my drakes mating them. Should I build another aviary for the adults so I can keep them separate?

The drakes will mate with them for sure.. and they will attack them as the younger ducks will be afraid of them and not want to mate.....

Build at separate aviary for the adults.

Mix them together when the ducklings have reached adult size and have all their adult feathers. Make sure you don't have too many drakes to ducks... or the poor ducks will get beaten up and very stressed.