ducklings and adult ducks

[delly1984]

Hi, I'm new here. My story is long and kinda complicated. I have 2, 2 year old ducks. Last year they had 6 ducklings, all of which died after 2 weeks.
This year we had 10 or so ducklings hatch. A fair few died trying to hatch. Then 4 were found outside the nest dead. I made the decision to take the two barely alive ducklings from the nest. I didn't think they'd survive but now 3 weeks later they are doing great! They are so lovely.

Now they are making quite the mess inside and out growing being inside. I've tried to integrate them into the coop with the parents and the drake goes crazy trying to attack them.
This was with them separated by some chicken wire. He was going nuts trying to get at them. When he couldn't he chased my chickens around trying to get them.

Ugh what do I do? I don't really have the space to do fully separated pens. I can separate them inside the one area but it won't be enough.

Thanks for reading.

 

[delly1984]

Bump

 

[Miss Lydia]

Bump

He may just kill them so don't dare put them in their yet..

About all you can do is keep them separated and make the separation partition sturdy enough he cannot get to them once they live side by side for a few weeks and are same size as their parents try giving them some time supervised with the adults, giving out treats may work to make things go easier. But until the ducklings are as large as the parents and have lived side by side for a while the ducklings at 3 weeks old risk death or injury. Make sure when you do integrate the ducklings can get away from the drake/adults so not to be cornered.. Once you have had them living side by side and they have integrated you can always use a XLarge dog crate for night time sleeping until you trust them being closed up with the adults. That will keep them safe when they cannot get away.

Welcome to BYC.

 

[Amiga]

@Miss Lydia did not mean that first sentence!!!! She meant to write, HE may kill them.

Keep the ducklings safe somehow - you may be able to slowly introduce them once they are grown. Restricting the drake a but may annoy him but it won't hurt him and the ducklings' lives depend on you.

 

[delly1984]

Thanks for the reply. I work at a farm so I took the ducklings there today to go in a larger, secure area away from adult ducks.
Love them like crazy but they were making an awful mess and smell inside and i had no where I trusted for them to be secure outdoors.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@Miss Lydia did not mean that first sentence!!!! She meant to write, HE may kill them.

Keep the ducklings safe somehow - you may be able to slowly introduce them once they are grown. Restricting the drake a but may annoy him but it won't hurt him and the ducklings' lives depend on you.

Thank you Amiga .