Antisocial ducks!

[Spinksy]

I need some advice! My 2 ducks (about 6 months old) refuse to leave their coop/run. In the picture you can see my duck coop: a little house for them, a sitting/feeding area and a pond. The far side of this structure is my chicken coop and run. There's a communal area between the two runs that all the birds can use, the ducks however hate the chickens (and us!) and refuse to go out there, even when it's available to just them. They'll sometimes go days without a swim too. I was hoping they would free range with the chickens but it's just not happening. Is this normal behavior? I'm considering re homing them to someone with a farm. We're doing our best with them, but I worry about their quality of life.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. If it helps they are females, a Pekin and a Black Swedish.

 

[Amiga]

I think it is within the range of normal. If they have everything they like in their area - they may not want to go out.

Perhaps they have had some run-ins with chickens and want to keep their distance - ducks do remember.

If they are safe, healthy, well fed and watered, and content - why rehome them?

In fact, rehoming them to a farm might be traumatic for them.

 

[chickens really]

I have Chickens and Ducks.....I have a large Chicken coop and run and a large Duck run......My Ducks and Chickens hate each other.....Possible your Ducks hate the Chickens......If you do get rid of them to a farm they will adjust just fine.....If your feeling like their quality of life is lacking? you could be right?.......You are the only one who can decide what is best for them......

You could try moving the Ducks to another side of the yard so they feel more content in their own space?


Cheers!

 

[shortgrass]

Your ducks are fairly young. I keep my birds all in one area but the chickens are fenced off. The ducks free range. They don't care for the chickens, but they've landed in the run a few times and no scuffles; they just don't care to be pals lol. I did have 2 Pekin ducks in with the chickens for a while, and they seemed fine, but they also got brooded with chicks, so they thought they were chickens


Time will help. By spring, they'll forget all about the chickens even being there unless it's causing issues with mating, but IMO, they usually go their own way come spring and all they can think about is the duck closest to them


It's kinda like the jocks and the nerds in high school. No problems, they just don't "hang out" together

 

[Spinksy]

Thanks for the advice guys. We're going to just see how things go. They seem pretty happy so long as we (humans and chickens) keep our distance! Maybe they'll chill out a bit when they start laying. They are well fed and looked after, I think I'm just a worrier!