Fighting Females

[Freebird farm]

Maybe switch them on one side one day the other next just to keep things up in the air for a few days.

Also a good idea! although to isolate Trooper at night is actually a second house on the other side of the pens...roughly 25,yards. The second house would not be big enough for the rest of the flock and I'm afraid would stress them?
I'll put Trooper in the second house tonight and hope for the best. Maybe that will do the trick?
Should I just let her out in the morning with the gang and act like nothing happened?
Thank you so so much! It's very worrying!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Try it, all you can do is try. If Trooper is the instigator giving her time out is a good idea but it must not be making an impression if she starts picking on the others again. I'd have more than one feeding station with water so everyone can eat, put them across the pen from each other.


Only other thing that may work is giving time out to the first one that was leading the pack the Welsh that started picking on the blind duck.

When my Muscovy was broody [no eggs] just broody she was awful to the other females in her house so I had to give her time out in the small coop I use for brooding and hatching. She stayed 2 days in there at night and was much nicer when she went back inside the main coop for the night.

 

[Freebird farm]

Try it, all you can do is try. If Trooper is the instigator giving her time out is a good idea but it must not be making an impression if she starts picking on the others again. I'd have more than one feeding station with water so everyone can eat, put them across the pen from each other.


Only other thing that may work is giving time out to the first one that was leading the pack the Welsh that started picking on the blind duck.

When my Muscovy was broody [no eggs] just broody she was awful to the other females in her house so I had to give her time out in the small coop I use for brooding and hatching. She stayed 2 days in there at night and was much nicer when she went back inside the main coop for the night.

Lol! "Time out" but it makes total sense. It beginning to look like a pecking order event. Just went to check and everyone is inching closer. Still not a loving bundle but they're not pushing her into the next pen. Still think a time out is in the works but am so much more hopeful.
Again can't thank you enough!

 

[Miss Lydia]

They may work it out themselves and that is always the best way but sometimes we have to intervene.

 

[Freebird farm]

They may work it out themselves and that is always the best way but sometimes we have to intervene.

Peace!
We had planned to put Trooper in a separate house last night but when we went to put them up, everyone was already asleep including Trooper and although she wasn't exactly in the pile she was close by. So we left them alone and hoped for the best.
This morning everyone came out of the house together and no bullying or fighting!
I do think the addition of the second feed source helped.
I also wonder if this was because of the stress of moulting?
Trooper was the first to moult and they are about halfway through the process so maybe that changes the dynamics?
Thank you so much for the help and suggestions. It's hard to find good info on ducks!

 

[Miss Lydia]

That is what we like. And could be, mine do seem a bit grumpy when molting. Some of mine are still in molt my Muscovy's have barely begun. But we have to also take into consideration hormones are probably wacky this time of year all winding down from summer. Spats will happen just glad they seem to have worked it out.