Duck discrimination

[misfitsailor]

We raised a White Crested duckling a couple of years ago. We kept it separate until it was fairly large, then introduced it to our little flock, consisting of a Rouen drake, 2 Rouen ducks and one Cayuga duck. From day one the other ducks attacked the Crested, usually trying to pin her to the ground and pluck out the plumage on her head. We gave up and kept her separate. Later the crested became broody so we gave her some Rouen eggs to sit on. One of the eggs hatched and the Crested duck became a surrogate mother. When this new duckling grew large, it became a body guard for the crested duck and it was safe to let them join the flock. But after a few months the young adopted duck become less and less interested in protecting the Crested from attacks. From months the Crested would stay near the flock, but not too near lest she be chased away. Today we found the poor Crested duck cornered and exhausted in the blazing sun, her head nearly plucked clean of feathers and muddy from being trampled on by the other ducks. Needless to say she is again separated from the flock. It's a shame, as she clearly wants to be a part of the group. From what I have read the Crested duck is not so much a legitimate breed as it is a birth defect, a genetic mutation. The low rate of successful Crested hatchings would seem to bear that out. Is the unnaturalness of the crested duck causing the flock to act out so violently? If they were humans you would call it eugenics!

 

[Miss Lydia]

This would be a good question for @Pyxis

 

[DuckyDonna]

We raised a White Crested duckling a couple of years ago. We kept it separate until it was fairly large, then introduced it to our little flock, consisting of a Rouen drake, 2 Rouen ducks and one Cayuga duck. From day one the other ducks attacked the Crested, usually trying to pin her to the ground and pluck out the plumage on her head. We gave up and kept her separate. Later the crested became broody so we gave her some Rouen eggs to sit on. One of the eggs hatched and the Crested duck became a surrogate mother. When this new duckling grew large, it became a body guard for the crested duck and it was safe to let them join the flock. But after a few months the young adopted duck become less and less interested in protecting the Crested from attacks. From months the Crested would stay near the flock, but not too near lest she be chased away. Today we found the poor Crested duck cornered and exhausted in the blazing sun, her head nearly plucked clean of feathers and muddy from being trampled on by the other ducks. Needless to say she is again separated from the flock. It's a shame, as she clearly wants to be a part of the group. From what I have read the Crested duck is not so much a legitimate breed as it is a birth defect, a genetic mutation. The low rate of successful Crested hatchings would seem to bear that out. Is the unnaturalness of the crested duck causing the flock to act out so violently? If they were humans you would call it eugenics!

the poor little girl, makes me want to cry for her!

 

[katiebrock]

Bless her heart!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

The only way to integrate her into the flock (if possible) will be the »see but no touch« method:
You need to divide the outside area into two parts, using a fence through which the ducks can clearly see each other, but the flock cannot touch (harass) the single duck. The same must be done in the duck house, so they can sleep together in one house, but the lonely duck is safe from any attacks.
This way both parties can have time to get used to each other. Later you can try to put a non aggressive duck from the flock to the loner, later a second one and after that was successful, the crested duck should have become a flock member.
There will always be some rivalry and status fights going on, you will always need to have an eye on crested ducks.