Ducks run away from duckling

[DuckyGaze]

I always thought that ducks were a social species. Meaning they would care for ducklings other than their own but now I know better.
We have a pair of khaki campbells, a lone magpie, and a pair of silver appleyards that roam freely during the day.
Today I took all the ducklings and goslings outside to allow them to swim a bit and just get fresh air and sunshine.

My ducks were curious and were looking at one duckling curiously but when the duckling ran towards them, all the ducks ran away.
So I put Charlie back in his container with his other duckling siblings.

 

[Amiga]

Yes, ducks are interesting that way - tend to be very social with their own cohort, but I have seen them get quite testy with anyone new.

 

[DuckyGaze]

I thought it was quite funny seeing the little yellow duckling scare off the big ducks,
but I put my goslings and ducklings out today and my geese are quite attached to them all
already.

The goose and gander have been right by the babies all day long. They hiss at anyone or
anything that gets close. I think geese are more socially interactive even if none of the goslings
are theirs. They stood guard all day long. Quite adorable.

The babies are all in a cage my son made yesterday just to spend the beautiful days outside in a
secure way. The cage took about 20 minutes to make and is really awesome! So simple yet
exactly what I needed for the babies.
They all come back in the house tonight though.. still a bit too chilly during the night for such
tiny darlings.