On one hand I have my 9 adult ducks(well technically they're 7 weeks but almost full grown) that I rasied since they were itty bitty ducklings(Okay, I bought one of them as an adult, so I raised 8). On the other hand a group of ten ducklings all 2 weeks old. Well my older babies have been free ranging since week 3 and just today we decided to see how the new ducklings would do outside. They absolutely loved being outdoors and took to it really quick. But once the older ducks caught them at the watering pan they moved in and chased them away. I didn't see any of them biting the ducklings but they kept chasing them away, and even around the barn for a while. They did ccalm down after a while and lounged in separate groups in the yard especially after I put out a second pan of water. I'm just a little worried. Is this a territorial thing? Or a dominance thing? I had to go to work so my fiancee had to put the ducks to bed tonite and said that the ducks and the ducklings all put themselves away in the barn at sundown. The ducks do that normally I was just pleasently surprised to hear that the ducklings followed suit. I was informed that there wer no further incidents and we are planning to let both flocks roam the yard freely as long as it is safe and there are no injuries.
so funny how animals are. i am new to the duck thing. we bought 3 rouens and 5 khaki campbells we have had them three weeks. we have had chickens for two years, is it maybe like a pecking order kind of thing like it is with chickens? we have a peacock too with our chickens and sometimes the chickens just one at a time or two at a time go after the peacock and peck at him. he does not put up with it for long, they never hurt each other though. i feel sorry for the peacock he is a male and struts around showing all his feathers and the chickens just ignore him! wendy
I think you are doing the right thing by letting them all get on with it. You need to keep monitoring to make sure none of the little ones are getting hurt but they should all get along fine and there needs to be enough water for everyone to be able to use it without getting picked on. I only ever have 2 ducks at a time but have mixed different ages together when I have had to replace 1 and they always sort out their pecking order. My chickens always seem to adjust to new birds, ducks or chickens after a few days too.
I have so many stinking "families" around my yard I had to go buy more kiddie pools. My poor giant toulouse geese get chased away from everywhere they go by my older bunch, and they are like twice the size of the Am. Buffs already. I'd put them in with someone else but they really seem to like that group and want to be a part of it. In the other pen I have month old runners in with 2 week old goslings and they have about 5 or 6 more days of their bossy attitude before those goslings tower over them and decide not to take it any more. On the other side of the barn I have my calls - to which I just added my new pair who are 2 years old. Let me tell ya, that drake things he OWNS that place. My poor juvenille snowy drake really thinks those 2 white ducks belong to him, but Ricky - the older drake sets him straight fast. Such a soap opera. But fun to watch as they interact as well. I do intervene with the toulouse and the buffs sometimes because they "Goose" the toulouse on the rear ends! Those guys jump like you would not believe! And then everyone goes running like mad in every direction and it is pandemonium. Mind you they have been together now for like 6 weeks and though it is better, the buffs still think they own that side of the place. Anyway - good luck and just make sure no one is getting the short end of the stick more often than they should.
Well they all spent the night together in the barn without complications. Except for Wade who injured her leg, AGAIN! We have her set in her own little pen to heal for a few days. But the ducklings and the ducks seem to have come to an understanding/pecking order and I haven't seen any kind of aggressive behavior yet today, so I'm relieved. Now we just wait and see what happens when the new batch of ducklings arrive.