Ducklings integration surprise 🤣

[FNF]

Mine have been free ranging together for a few weeks but still divided by a screen in the little house at night. You'd think they would all be okay together by now but the ladies are still scared of the babies. The babies definitely still chase them too. Maybe not quite as often, and they perhaps are milling about in closer proximity than before but still two very separate groups. Fingers crossed a few more weeks will bring them together so I can do away with the divider.

 

[Jlw0903]

Mine have been free ranging together for a few weeks but still divided by a screen in the little house at night. You'd think they would all be okay together by now but the ladies are still scared of the babies. The babies definitely still chase them too. Maybe not quite as often, and they perhaps are milling about in closer proximity than before but still two very separate groups. Fingers crossed a few more weeks will bring them together so I can do away with the divider.

Soo good to know! All the things on the Internet make it seem so different! I know better to just come straight here for advice but I feel like I post so many questions and don't want to be a bother . It's been good hearing everyones experiences with this since it's my first time.
Keep us updated on how your integration goes! I think maybe I'll keep posting about mine incase anyone is interested or it helps others. I'm having fun reading about how it's going everyone else for sure!

 

[FNF]

Soo good to know! All the things on the Internet make it seem so different! I know better to just come straight here for advice but I feel like I post so many questions and don't want to be a bother . It's been good hearing everyones experiences with this since it's my first time.
Keep us updated on how your integration goes! I think maybe I'll keep posting about mine incase anyone is interested or it helps others. I'm having fun reading about how it's going everyone else for sure!

I know! Everything I read said ducks are usually accepting of additions but nothing ever warned me that the babies may be the bullies lol. So happy to have this forum to confirm my situation is not unique!

 

[CoriM]

She's crooked like she has scoliosis or something. Looks like Quasimodo. And especially when she was younger she just acted a bit funny and didn't quite duck right so I think she might be just a little special. So she is Darla my Derpy Dented Duck. When she was younger the crookedness was super obvious... Or maybe we have just gotten used to it now. She's perfectly healthy otherwise.

She is beautiful! Was she always that white? I have two black swedish females but they are traditional black with white bibs. I'm wondering if they will get white as they age?

 

[Jlw0903]

She is beautiful! Was she always that white? I have two black swedish females but they are traditional black with white bibs. I'm wondering if they will get white as they age?

No she was mostly black with a bib as well. It's been really fun watching her bleach out over the years. She's 5 now. I think by 7 or 8 she's going to be almost pure white! It varies how fast it happens I think.

 

[Jlw0903]

She is beautiful! Was she always that white? I have two black swedish females but they are traditional black with white bibs. I'm wondering if they will get white as they age?

No she was mostly black with a bib as well. It's been really fun watching her bleach out over the years. She's 5 now. I think by 7 or 8 she's going to be almost pure white! It varies how fast it happens I think

 

[CoriM]

Oh wow, that's a big change!

 

[Jlw0903]

Well yesterday I stuck the ducklings out in the duck pen about midday in a closed off section from the others. we have two 10x13 pens side by side with a small section of the fencing/netting between the two cut away so they can move between them so it was pretty easy to just put each group in one pen and close off opening.
I brought them in at night and put them back out this morning.

Although it seems that overall MOST of the the groups seem to becoming more accepting of each other - tolerating closer proximitys and less likely to chase each other - Darla continues to demonstrate her dislike of the little ones and chases them off quite determinedly.. especially when treats are involved (she's a bit of a gluten when it comes to frozen peas).

I assume this will continue until I start having in the pen together without separation.

I may wait until next weekend to try that since I don't want my drake to hurt them by mating... Luckily it seems that he is starting to molt so his hormones should be coming down soon. Which is good because my older hens all are getting bald spots from him

 

[FNF]

Ducklings over here are still very much the bossy ones but they napped near-ish each other today which I’ll take as a small step in the right direction.

 

[FNF]

Another small step - ducks allowed to swim while the ducklings nap right next to the pond. They usually chase the adults off.