Duck being picked on—pulling feathers

[Duckworth]

Go to the sticky’s on the first page of the duck forum you’ll see the link for safe treats there.

Thanks, I just did and it was really helpful!

 

[Natgeorjografic]

2 years ago, in spring I bought 6 chickens and a duck, and about a year later I bought two more ducks. Recently my first duck was attacked by a dog. We were able to save her, and brought her in the house to heal. When we put her back in with the chickens and ducks, the chickens started pecking her so I separated the chickens from the ducks. Everything was fine for a while, until I noticed my male duck pecking the first duck, but it wasn't too serious at first. Then it got worse so I separated the male as well so it was just the two females. Then the first duck started pecking on the other duck and chasing her into a corner. Now the first duck is all alone and I put the others back together. I feel really bad for the first duck because she seems very unhappy all alone, considering her whole life she has had chickens with her, and half she had other ducks too. I don't really want to buy another duck because I plan on moving out soon and selling my ducks and chickens anyway. Is there a way I can trick the chickens and ducks into letting her back into their pack? Or is getting another duck my only choice.

 

[Duckworth]

2 years ago, in spring I bought 6 chickens and a duck, and about a year later I bought two more ducks. Recently my first duck was attacked by a dog. We were able to save her, and brought her in the house to heal. When we put her back in with the chickens and ducks, the chickens started pecking her so I separated the chickens from the ducks. Everything was fine for a while, until I noticed my male duck pecking the first duck, but it wasn't too serious at first. Then it got worse so I separated the male as well so it was just the two females. Then the first duck started pecking on the other duck and chasing her into a corner. Now the first duck is all alone and I put the others back together. I feel really bad for the first duck because she seems very unhappy all alone, considering her whole life she has had chickens with her, and half she had other ducks too. I don't really want to buy another duck because I plan on moving out soon and selling my ducks and chickens anyway. Is there a way I can trick the chickens and ducks into letting her back into their pack? Or is getting another duck my only choice.

I don’t know. I’ve just had these same four ducks together all their lives. Several people here have recommended “look—don’t touch” arrangements for ducks who can’t be allowed free access to each other. That’s pretty much what I have going at the moment, with one duck in a large wire dog crate to protect her from having more feathers pulled while I try to get their nutrition back on track to eliminate the need for the pulling.

 

[Duckworth]

Flipper is doing well. Because the crate she is in is on the floor of the pen, the other three ducks spend their time hanging out with her right next to the crate, so they are together, but Flipper is protected. Flipper’s feathers are starting to regrow, which will take time, but the most encouraging thing for me is that she no longer looks red/pink and irritated where the feathers were pulled out. That suggests to me that the pulling has stopped. When I open our back door every morning to let the dogs out, I can hear the ducks over in their house talking to Flipper, who is about two feet away on the other side of the board we screw over the door from the house to the pen every night.

I have a nice drawbridge-type door that worked great until it got frozen shut last winter and I had to pry it open. Then I couldn’t get it closed again, so I screwed a scrap piece of wood over it “temporarily.” We have a little cordless drill driver that I carry in and out to let the ducks out or close them in for the night. The pen is pretty predator proof, but we always put the ducks away at night, just in case. Flipper’s crate is pushed up against things on two sides and covered on the top, so I think she will be safe. And I know she and her sisters will quack to raise the dead if anything gets into the pen.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sounds great. Have you let Flipper out with her sisters yet to see how they do with her?

 

[Duckworth]

Sounds great. Have you let Flipper out with her sisters yet to see how they do with her?

Not yet. It’s 10F and snowing all day. But they are hanging out together—just separated by the wires. I tried to get some pictures, but it’s not all that light in the pen due to the snow and the tarps blocking the wind.

These are the three free ducks. Two have ridges of feathers ruffled on the backs of their necks that aren’t usually like that. The brown blanket is on top of the crate Flipper is in. The door to their house is on the right.

Flipper in her crate.

Flipper’s feathers have filled in a lot. I could see pink/red irritated skin on her neck, behind her wings and on her wing tips before.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That’s great she is looking good. Wow hope you all get a break in the weather soon.

 

[Duckworth]

That’s great she is looking good. Wow hope you all get a break in the weather soon.

It’s not supposed to snow again until tomorrow afternoon, so I’ll try to go out in the morning and supervise some together time. One of my concerns is how hard it will be to catch Flipper again to put her back in the crate if she gets picked on. I was just lucky the first time.

 

[Miss Lydia]

If their inside the pen she can’t go far? But of course it’s always up to you just do it when the circumstances are best.

 

[Duckworth]

If their inside the pen she can’t go far? But of course it’s always up to you just do it when the circumstances are best.

She can’t go far, but if she needs protection and I can’t get her back in the crate, I would have to keep the other ducks shut in their house. I worry more about her getting injured when I’m trying to catch her. There’s a potting bench in the pen that all of the food bins are on and underneath is a place for the ducks to get out of the wind. It would be really hard to get her out from under there. One of my arms still has limited range of motion after surgery.

But I’ll probably give it a go tomorrow between snowstorms.