Adopted Drake and hen

[Tram]

I have taken a drake and hen from my friend. Not sure of breed but I am not sure if ducks are like chickens. Leave them contained for 72 hours so they know this is their new home? Not even sure if they can fly. I have two Cayuga hens raised from ducklings and they free range with the rest of the flock.

These poor fellas didn't have access to any other water then these cups on the bucket.Their bills were dirty and looked like they handent clean their sinuses for ever.

Ordered this little coop and put it next to the pond. Once placed in the little coop, they instantly got in the water and taking a bath. I cannot wait to let them on the pond.

 

[KathiQuacks]

I agree with leaving them contained to get a feel for what’s home. I’d expect eventually they’d follow the lead of your Cayugas, or come for food.

Breeds that size won’t be able to fly. They may be able to fly short distances at most. The drake seems to be Rouen-like, and the hen is a Khaki Campbell.

Please consider keeping your ducks in an area completely separate from the chickens. Since you have a drake now, he may attempt to mate your chickens, which would seriously harm if not kill them.

 

[Tram]

I agree with leaving them contained to get a feel for what’s home. I’d expect eventually they’d follow the lead of your Cayugas, or come for food.

Breeds that size won’t be able to fly. They may be able to fly short distances at most. The drake seems to be Rouen-like, and the hen is a Khaki Campbell.

Please consider keeping your ducks in an area completely separate from the chickens. Since you have a drake now, he may attempt to mate your chickens, which would seriously harm if not kill them.

I have about 50 chicken hens and 3 roosters. Wouldn't the roosters prevent the drake from trying to breed with them? They all free range on about 2 acres so I haven't seen anything but normal rooster chasing rooster. But this is the first drake for me.

I am to the point of just letting the ducks stay on the pond. Since they don't have night vision problems like chickens. With the cattails growing in now, the Cayuga seem to rest in those during the sunny part of the day. Only advantage to putting them in the coop at night is not having to egg hunt. They just drop them anywhere

 

[ruthhope]

I have about 50 chicken hens and 3 roosters. Wouldn't the roosters prevent the drake from trying to breed with them? They all free range on about 2 acres so I haven't seen anything but normal rooster chasing rooster. But this is the first drake for me.

I am to the point of just letting the ducks stay on the pond. Since they don't have night vision problems like chickens. With the cattails growing in now, the Cayuga seem to rest in those during the sunny part of the day. Only advantage to putting them in the coop at night is not having to egg hunt. They just drop them anywhere

Please don't leave domestic ducks put on a pond at night. They're the safety of the coop on the pond they will be picked off by predators

 

[KathiQuacks]

I have about 50 chicken hens and 3 roosters. Wouldn't the roosters prevent the drake from trying to breed with them? They all free range on about 2 acres so I haven't seen anything but normal rooster chasing rooster. But this is the first drake for me.

Not necessarily. Drakes can be very persistent when it comes to mating, too. I just wouldn’t risk it, personally

I also agree with Ruth, definitely don’t let them stay out on the pond overnight. I have a massive 5+ acre pond, and the few times my ducks stayed out on the pond over night, I had ducks disappear..

 

[Papaye]

Hi.

Leave them contained for 72 hours so they know this is their new home? Not even sure if they can fly.

Do keep them enclosed for 3 to 7 days, so they can get used to the fact this is their new home.

And since they are new, whatever their breeds are : do clip one of their wing.

I have indeed learned even the biggest of the ducks actually can fly; so, clipping the wings of your new birds will prevent them to fly away - and probably, thus, save their life.
(If ever they fly away, they could easily get lost, and so : be unable to get back home!!)

Breeds that size won’t be able to fly.

They generally do not, but they actually can fly.
(There are some videos on Youtube.)

Even Indian Runners, that are literally renowed - and chosen by a lot of people for - to not be able to fly, are actually able to...!

So, just in case : I would clip one wing of each duck here... at least for the first year!

They may be able to fly short distances at most.

Ah, ah!
(Big) ducks are amazing!!

Here :
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3hKpRy2W3g
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKTW7F2SyJs

Just for that... I would be kind of scared of the ducks flying away!!
(We never know, right?)

Wouldn't the roosters prevent the drake from trying to breed with them?

No.
From my experiences, a rooster won't protect his girls from a rapist drake.

I think there are two reasons to that (noting here I may not be right) :
1 - roosters don't consider drakes as (romantic) rivals, since drakes are unable to have offsprings with chicken hens;
2 - drakes are not predators (as foxes or raccoons are, for example), so roosters don't feel their girls' life is threatened by them - even though a drake can still hurt, and even kill, a chicken hen by raping her (but a rooster does NOT know that, apparently!).

...Nevertheless, you probably don't need to worry about your drake assaulting your chickens for the time being.

Monitor them closely, but you should be fine until next mating season... and even then, you could be lucky AND your drake might not try to mate with the chickens...(?)

I am to the point of just letting the ducks stay on the pond.

Don't.
You don't want your ducks to be eaten by nocturnal predators, right?

 

[Tram]

Don't.
You don't want your ducks to be eaten by nocturnal predators, right?

No not particularly, need to build shelter for them anyways. For foul weather i.e. torrential rains.