Ducks rejecting one hen and none like the pool???

[littlels]

We purchased 4 Khaki Campbell ducks a bit ago. They are all supposed to start laying in the next week or so according to the seller. These hens all grew up together and when they got to our pasture area, they were all hanging out together. The four were inseparable. They share the pasture and indoor run with the chickens although they prefer to be outside 99.9% of the time. Just in the last day or so, 1 duck has been by herself ALL the time. She sleeps by herself while the other 3 are just around the corner sleeping. She walks around by herself and the other 3 are over somewhere else. I noticed that when she approaches them, one of the hens (I'm assuming it's the top lady) jostles her had at the loner like she is telling her to stay back and then the loner runs off a bit. She tries to get with the group, but that one duck really keeps the loner in check and doesn't let her get within 5 feet of the group. What is going on here? I am extremely new to ducks and don't understand their behavior yet. I feel horrible for the loner as she just looks sad and rejected. Is there something that I should do to help it? Leave it alone and they will work it out? I guess I'm just trying to understand the interaction.

Also, on a new note, we got a plastic kiddie pool for the ducks to swim in about 2 weeks ago. They have never once drank out of it or got in it.....What is up with that? We thought they would love it. It is in kind of a sunny area. Should we move it to where there is more shade? Do they need some type of ramp to get in it? We have heard of others who have used a pool and their ducks are in it all the time. Is it too clean? The seller said that they were in her waterfalls constantly and it was plugging up the filters so they decided to sell them. That tells me they love the water. But why don't they like our water???

 

[questions543]

Maybe the top leader thinks that the loner is a threat to her authority... I dont know much about ducks but just like chicks learning how to eat and chickens learning how to use the ramp I would spend some time if their tame enough by slowly introducing them to the water. THey just dont know what to do with it probaly

 

[Mum]

Could be a hormonal behaviour thing if they are due to come into lay soon

As for the pool, you could provide a ramp or stepping stones to encourage them to discover the joys of it. While they may well have been used to the sellers waterfall, you have only just introduced them to *your* pool and they will be wary of it initially until they build up the courage to use it.

Good luck. I hope the behaviour sorts itself out and that your ducks discover their wonderful new pool.

 

[jdywntr]

Odd behavior I think. I would just let it sort itself out. When I first started reading your post I was thinking that the one might be sick but if she is being prevented from joining the others, she may not be.

For the pool, I think for many ducks it is an usual (usually bright blue) looking thing and they don't know it is a pool. I would make sure they see you filling it. I used to direct the hose at the edge so it would spray some water up . If all else fails, chuck some of their favorite treats in there. Peas, lettuce, corn whatever. Mine, even very young ducklings, would manage to get themselves into the pool. If you provide a step, like a paver or 2 they may perch at the edge. Usually once one gets the hang of it, the rest follow. Depending on where you are located, you may want to put it at least partly in the shade.

 

[mstricer]

Don't worry about the pool thing it is a pain in the butt. It seems like the nice thing to do, but they poop in it and it gets yucky fast. My 4 calls have a Little Tikes blue pool, it's a good size, it is a pain to clean. I didn't think through that too well. Every other day or so, we get the pump out and remove the water, take it out of their run, clean it, because it is nasty, put it back fill it, AHHH nice water, then along comes the ducks jump in and everyone poops......and so it starts again.

 

[BethsNest]

I just got a mating pair of Pekin ducks, the female has already been laying and has once had a clutch ( at her old home ) so my question is should I try to leave the eggs for her to sit on or not, because I wouldn't want perfectly edible eggs to go bad!

 

[Missy60]

When my grand daughter moved in with her pekin it didn't want to get in our pool, which is a turtle sandbox. My grand daughter just put her in it and hung around to see how she would react. She immediately got out so we left her alone. My grand daughter just kept putting her in there when she would go over to that side of the house. She got to where she would get right beside of the pool and lay down and someone would put her in. She would swim around for a while then get out. This went on for several weeks her laying beside of the pool for us to put her in. We made several different ramps for her to use but she would never get in. I was busy one day and she was quacking for me to go to the pool but I didn't go right away. I went around their about ten minutes later and their she was in the pool. She gets in and out now at free will but she just hurdles over the sides because she will not even try a ramp. I don't know if you have seen a turtle sandbox, his face is sort of sloped any way but they never get in that way even if I turn it to the front. My grand kids have a plastic kitty litter container to clean grass off their feet before getting in their big pool. We had to give that to her because she likes that better then the pool. The mallards get in the pool(sandbox) and our fatty gets in the litter box. I moved the letterbox over to the side of the house with the sandbox so she can swim with the mallards. She use to sit outside the sandbox and watch them swim. We also have a creek in front of our house and that's her very favorite. Since its been so hot she wants to go straight to the creek but the mallards try to hang around some, but she keeps quacking and heading that way. When they don't follow she comes after them quacking very loudly until they go with her.

You didn't say how old your duck were but if they are very young and not fully feathered don't take my advice. Ducks are scared of new things just put them in and hang around to make sure they can get out.

 

[littlels]

Well, we were really hoping to get the pool thing to work as my husband REALLY wants the fertilized water. I will go out today and see if I can put some of them in there or throw a few treats in for them to get them interested. They are currently attempting their baths in the chicken waterer and it makes a disasterous mess. It also is a brand new blue pool with creatures painted on it. Maybe that is part of the problem too....hmmm.... I'll try a few things today and see how it goes. Still open to any other suggestions. My poor hen also is completely lost and alone. She just sort of wanders. I think she needs a treat today. :- )

 

[Missy60]

I forgot to add we also had to put the mallards in a few times also before they got the idea. Now they head straight to the pool as soon as getting out of their coop. Then they usually head to the creek because George won't leave them alone until they follow her. They only hang around at our house on cooler days or in the evenings now since its been so hot. We have had a little break from the heat the last few days though so they have been hanging out with us some now.

 

[littlels]

We do have a little pond and waterfall in the backyard but because it is real close to the garden, we didn't let the ducks have access to it for this time of the year. When the garden is done, the ducks and chickens will have the whole area to roam. Just to try it out, we took the ducks over to the pond and they were running and flapping their wings WAY before I got close enough to the pond to let them down and they all went barreling in! It was very funny and awfully cute since they have been without a small area of water for about 2 weeks, they were very busy cleaning and swimming. So fun. They got out about an hour or so later and are all sleeping under the tree near the pond. The two ducks didn't fight as much in the water either. We thought that was odd, but hey...I think they were all happy to go for a swim. They aren't going to be able to stay in the pond in the summer so we emptied the pool and my husband is going to paint it like rocks to see if that helps. He makes faux rock as a hobby so he is really good at painting things to look like rocks. That's the next step and we'll see if they are a little more excited about their pool when it has a new look.

Thanks for all the input everyone!