Curious Update--When Can You Put Older Ducklings W/ Younger Ducklings?

[azhenhouse]

So, for all of you who know Peanut and Cookie, they're great! We now have Skittles and Ritz, and they are doing well. I currently have Peanut and Cookie in a separate brooder from Skittles and Ritz, and I am wondering when I can put them together. Peanut and Cookie are two weeks old and Skittles and Ritz are a week old. The two older ones are so much bigger than the two younger ones. I can't believe that one week makes such a big difference!!! What are your thoughts and experiences?

Update: I tired putting them together, and it is a no go! Peanut and Cookie did not go after Ritz, the drake, but attacked Skittles. At such a young age do they know who the drake is? Did they go after Skittles because she is the smallest, or because she is a she, or just because? Oh, I love them but they are not making it easy

 

[aineheartsyou]

I dont have any experience yet but I will be getting 2 goslings and 3 more ducklings next week so they will be a week younger than the ones that will arrive tomorrow

i plan on brooding them seperately for a few days then introduce them all together

 

[mogrl840]

im sure there is a certain time because I have two little ones and one bigger. I keep them separate right now but when I go to clean the little ones cage the bigger one tries to peck the little ones and I have to watch the bigger one really close so he doesn't hurt the babies. Im sure your going to wanna wait till the littler ones are at least big enough to defend themselves or at least the same size

 

[rainplace]

I went through the same thing when I first got ducks. I ordered four and then decided I wanted a goose and another duckling. They were two weeks apart. It was warm out so during the day I would take them outside into a little pen I made in the front yard. The older ducklings weren't awful to the younger duckling, but they absolutely hated the gosling. I made a smaller pen inside the already small pen. This worked. I think the older ducklings were about 6 weeks when I gave away two of them to someone from this board. It seemed to be incredibly traumatic to them so I put the younger duckling and the gosling in with them and they were accepted as if they have been brooded together.

Here's a picture of the outside set-up from when the older ducklings were 3 weeks old and the youngsters were 1 week old.

I never had these little guys out like this without my supervision. The fencing was not predator (cat, dog, raccoon, etc. proof. My cats spent all their time trying to figure out how to get them. One time three of my cats worked me. One acted like he was going to get in from the front, the female was a bit off to the right focused on the older male and while I was focused on them my younger male cat made a charge from behind. Fortunately for the ducklings he was always a bit clumsy and really did charge the fence like a dog and didn't make it over. However while I tried to untangle him from the fence, the female cat made her attempt and swiftly made it inside with the ducklings. I happily sprayed her with the hose. After that I always had the hose handy and whenever my cats started watching them I sprayed them away.

 

[missmaryb]

I had a recent not so successful hatch in which only 1 duckling made it...he was 3 days old and I wanted to get him some company so we got two pekin ducklings at about a week old. I was really worried because the one that survived was the runt...Surprise! they loved eachother from the first second I put them in together. My little one acts like the other two are his mother and has even turned against me! The two wouldn't come near me because they didn't have that imprinting thing going on and now the little one acts like he doesn't even know me either LoL
I wish your introduction had gone as smoothly...good luck!

 

[azhenhouse]

Thanks everyone. I sure in time it will all go well. I just want instant gratification

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