Conflict within Daphne’s flock - need ideas!

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

Sooo, I received a very lovely and promising response the evening my ad published from someone who runs a farm locally who is looking to downsize their flock just a bit and who may be willing to part with a couple of adult female Rouens! I think that Daphne would adore having sisters that are just like her. We are in talks, and I hope that we will get them on Sunday if all works out. This would allow me to spend Saturday constructing a safe “see but don’t touch” area for everyone to become acquainted. The person who replied has two girls in mind who have been very gentle and positive flock members.

Crossing fingers that this all works out! I will update as I can!

P.S. I have been keeping Daphne and the ‘Scovettes somewhat separated and added extra food and water bowls. Daphne is already looking better and brighter. I definitely think that adding 2 members to “Team Daphne” will take away some of the power from the ‘Scovettes.

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

Tomorrow morning, Puddleduck and Matilda shall be joining “Team Daphne”. We have created a safe area for them to start in, but hope that the integration (at least with Daphne) will be smooth and relatively quick. After all, isn’t cuddling much better than fighting when it’s 3 degrees Fahrenheit outside? Stay tuned!

Edited to add: Things have greatly improved with separate Rouen and Muscovy “zones”. Tonight, my white Muscovy chose to eat dinner with Daphne rather than her hatch mate. They used to be very close, so it was nice to see peaceful interactions again!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

That sounds very promising! - It seems that spring is approaching here and the young ducks can already feel it. Most of the day they run around the drakes, bickering and flatten themselves like pancake doe in a pan…
Maybe the hostility in your flock is yet another sign of spring springing?

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

That sounds very promising! - It seems that spring is approaching here and the young ducks can already feel it. Most of the day they run around the drakes, bickering and flatten themselves like pancake doe in a pan…
Maybe the hostility in your flock is yet another sign of spring springing?

I would love to think of it that way! However, we still have a couple of months before things warm noticeably, and no one seems eager to mate with each other yet. We shall see..... Meanwhile, I’m still waiting on Matilda and Puddleduck to arrive. They should be here any minute!

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

Aaannnd introducing Matilda and Puddleduck!

 

[SolarDuck]

Yayyyyyy!!!!

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

So far, so good! The ‘Scovettes have decided that this is something they want nothing to do with and are sitting at the other end of the barn, probably gossiping. Daphne is making sure that her two new sisters know that she alone makes the LOUD QUACKS in this family, but is generally sitting by the fence looking interested. Matilda and Puddleduck are mostly just squealing with excitement. Matilda is quite small, and her sister Puddleduck is clearly the boss of her. No one has made any aggressive moves. I will update when I can. Full integration TBD. After talking with M and P’s previous caretakers, I decided to forgo a quarantine period due to Daphne’s desperate plight. Their ducks haven’t had any known illnesses, and neither have mine. Hopefully, no one is a carrier of something horrid. I will keep them physically separated for now. Tomorrow is a guaranteed long work day for me, but I will update when I can!

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Aaannnd introducing Matilda and Puddleduck!

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I think this was an excellent idea!
I bet you Daphne will love having two new buddies that speak her language.
For future problems if they should arise,
Sometimes putting the bully duck in jail for a few days can reset the order of things.
Sort of like Drake jail.
I can't say it is foolproof but it is worked for me a time or two.
Leave them where they can see the other ducks but the bullied ducks will be able to gain a little confidence and energy and reclaim some territory while the bully is confined.

 

[KaleIAm]

Aaannnd introducing Matilda and Puddleduck!

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I love the photo of Daphne quacking!!

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

I think this was an excellent idea!
I bet you Daphne will love having two new buddies that speak her language.
For future problems if they should arise,
Sometimes putting the bully duck in jail for a few days can reset the order of things.
Sort of like Drake jail.
I can't say it is foolproof but it is worked for me a time or two.
Leave them where they can see the other ducks but the bullied ducks will be able to gain a little confidence and energy and reclaim some territory while the bully is confined.

Thank you for the advice! I do have a large dog crate that serves as jail or a recuperation cage (or just a sleeping or nesting spot as I leave the door open when not in use as a jail). It has certainly helped in the past. It’s just that this last cluster of problems seemed to go beyond what could be fixed by a time out. Daphne clearly needed backup!