Adult drake attacking 2 month old ducklings! Please help with any info

[Reiki Rooster]

Hello, I have a pair of Pekins, the male is about 4 years old female about 1 1/2, I just hatched out 4 of their eggs by using a broody chicken. The ducklings and chicken lived together for about 2 weeks, than I removed the chicken. The entire time the ducklings were in my "nursery" pen, the adult ducks could see them but not touch them. Now the ducklings are pretty much fully feathered and a little smaller than the adults, so I moved them to a different pen. One that the adults and ducklings can reach their heads through but not their bodies. Thinking they can get used to each other.

The ducklings have been in this pen for about a week now, and every chance my adult drake gets he reaches through and grabs a beak full of feathers and rips them out. It doesn't matter which duckling he grabs or where, he's very aggressive with about it. And I know that at least 2 of the ducklings are females, not sure about the other 2.

Any ideas or suggestions? I'm not sure on what to do to keep these ducklings safe from him!! Thank you

 

[Poultry parent]

i think he is probably feeling threatened by the new ducks to him they are enemies who will try and take over. does he try to attack the two females?

 

[Reiki Rooster]

He attacks any of the ducklings, whichever one is standing too close the the fencing when he reaches through.

Right now they can go the center of the pen and be safe, it's 10'x20' so his reach isn't that long. It's not the main duck enclosure, so I didn't displace the adults, or mess with their routine at all.

 

[Gray Farms]

You'll have to wait till the ducklings are full grown then. Or he'll just keep attacking them. At least they'll be able to fight back when their full grown.

 

[Reiki Rooster]

Ah, I was afraid of that, oh well, at least their in a larger pen and can stay in that one for several months without a problem. Just be a bit of a pain, and no pond for them...guess kiddy pool will do. lol

Thank you.

 

[Gray Farms]

Them kiddie pools work great, so do them cheep long plastic snow sleds.

 

[Reiki Rooster]

Never thought of a sled! I like that idea

 

[Gray Farms]

Oh they work great! You can move em around easy. Don't waist so much water when ya clean em out.