DanielleInUro
Songster
I need somebody to tell me everything might still be okay.
My adult ducks--Bork (Drake, Cayuga), Willie (Drake, buff), Pica (duck, bowling pin with eyes) and Trish (duck, Rouen).
My 4.5 week old Welsh Harlequins--Matthew (Drake), Bertie (Duck) and Janis (Duck.)
Bork, Willie, and Pica were raised from babies together. Trish was purchased and introduced as an adult. No real drama. A little bit of yelling and a nip or two, and she was fine.
Maude, a rouen, was introduced as an adult. No real drama. Passed away after a dog attack.
Jenny, a khaki mix, introduced as an adult. No real drama. Passed away after a non-drake-related injury.
Bork and Willie have never fought. Bork is big and clumsy and sweet and has never been a problem.
The three Welshies are sweet and lovely and are living in my spare room, going outside into a baby-pen when I get home from work. Adults are on the other side of the fence. Bork constantly charges the fence and yells at the babies.
I tried introducing them, because some people said it would be fine and some people said maybe, watch them. I watched them. Lasted five minutes of Bork charging and biting the babies and said okay, that's enough for the day.
I tried again this evening. Made it fifteen minutes and said nope, somebody is going to break a leg. Babies are in the pen, adults are outside.
I need somebody to tell me that it might just be because they're not full grown, and if I'm patient and keep the babies separated until they're a few months old, Bork might just settle down and barely notice them like Willie does. Somebody tell me that Bork's behavior might just be because they're so little and when they're grown, it'll be no big.
Separating them permanently would take away a lot of the joy of my little yard-flock. Rehoming anyone is off the table, period. If I have to permanently separate, I will.
I'm almost sure Matthew was a mistake, and when he's a grown drake, there will be major issues. But that's because I'm so freaked out by how badly Bork is charging the babies. I thought we might be okay because Bork and Willie have done just fine with as few as two females between them. It's a friendly flock and always has been, until this.
My adult ducks--Bork (Drake, Cayuga), Willie (Drake, buff), Pica (duck, bowling pin with eyes) and Trish (duck, Rouen).
My 4.5 week old Welsh Harlequins--Matthew (Drake), Bertie (Duck) and Janis (Duck.)
Bork, Willie, and Pica were raised from babies together. Trish was purchased and introduced as an adult. No real drama. A little bit of yelling and a nip or two, and she was fine.
Maude, a rouen, was introduced as an adult. No real drama. Passed away after a dog attack.
Jenny, a khaki mix, introduced as an adult. No real drama. Passed away after a non-drake-related injury.
Bork and Willie have never fought. Bork is big and clumsy and sweet and has never been a problem.
The three Welshies are sweet and lovely and are living in my spare room, going outside into a baby-pen when I get home from work. Adults are on the other side of the fence. Bork constantly charges the fence and yells at the babies.
I tried introducing them, because some people said it would be fine and some people said maybe, watch them. I watched them. Lasted five minutes of Bork charging and biting the babies and said okay, that's enough for the day.
I tried again this evening. Made it fifteen minutes and said nope, somebody is going to break a leg. Babies are in the pen, adults are outside.
I need somebody to tell me that it might just be because they're not full grown, and if I'm patient and keep the babies separated until they're a few months old, Bork might just settle down and barely notice them like Willie does. Somebody tell me that Bork's behavior might just be because they're so little and when they're grown, it'll be no big.
Separating them permanently would take away a lot of the joy of my little yard-flock. Rehoming anyone is off the table, period. If I have to permanently separate, I will.
I'm almost sure Matthew was a mistake, and when he's a grown drake, there will be major issues. But that's because I'm so freaked out by how badly Bork is charging the babies. I thought we might be okay because Bork and Willie have done just fine with as few as two females between them. It's a friendly flock and always has been, until this.
