Finally Separated

[Oregon Blues]

It's 10 days late, but I finally have the ducks separated by breed and into their breeding pens.

I was waiting for some plumbing. Well, plumbing repairs failed and I've got water leaking every where, but I'd already separated them, so I will just bucket water until the repair is good.

Nobody seems to mind too much, except for the Pekins who are way off by themselves. They stand there and chatter at me then tip their heads and give me that expectant look that says "Well?".

Clearly, they expect me to do something for them, and I suspect that the "something" is to move them back into the flock.

Sorry guys. Will you settle for some extra treats?

 

[m.kitchengirl]

How long do you keep them separated? Are there problems re-establishing the flock connection when you put them back together?

I am adding a few females this season & will use only the best as breeders next year. The girls who are not "perfect" will live with one another & keep me in eggs for my baking. I wonder how much of an upset there will be when I put the breeders back in with the other girls.

 

[Oregon Blues]

I separate for a solid 2 months before I start hatching eggs. I've heard of birds still occasionally having fertile eggs 6 weeks after all males have been removed, and I'm not taking any chances. No mixed breeding allowed here.

I will stop collecting hatching eggs sometime in June or July and all the ducks will go back together at that time

I have never had any problems with introducing new ducks to a flock. Ducks aren't mean to each other like chickens are.

I've got 2 ages of birds and they hang out together, but each age stays with the peeps they were brooded with. When they are all together, they separate themselves by age when I herd them into their night runs.

There has never been any fighting, though.

The birds separate themselves by age and not by breed. The older birds are all Applyards. The younger are Swedish, Pekin, and Appleyard. The younger Appleyards choose to go with the younger group, not with the Appleyards.

So the Appleyards are happy, except the two that have been removed from the younger group and have been forced to bunk in with the older Appleyards. They would rather be with the Swedish group. There has been no fighting in the Appleyard group.

Both the Swedish and the Pekins are slightly upset to have their flock split. Ducks don't like change. But a bucket of fresh water and some good food does make up for a lot.

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

do you think 4 weeks is enough time for seperation? i also want to make sure i have pure breds. im seperating tomorrow, and im hopeing i will be getting eggs by late february

when do you plan to set eggs Blues? what kind of bator do you have?

 

[EmAbTo48]

Lucky you havent had any fighting, I never have any between the ducks, but I have a drake that is just nasty during breeding season.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Sorry about the leaking, I know you waited hoping for the repairs to be done. Now to looking ahead to spring. When do your flocks start laying again with winter cold and snow?

 

[m.kitchengirl]

Luckily I don't have to worry about them not being purebred yet. Just one female I am hoping to breed around, since she has a buff spot on her head & I don't want to be passing that along to future generations. It is a shame, she is a doll.
I have not had problems with adding ducks to the flock, but the chocolate female I have is quite possessive of "her man". She is not aggressive physically, but circles him shaking her neck at just about everything that walks into the yard. I sometimes wonder if she were separated if this behavior would get worse. I tend to worry a lot more than is needed, and for years in advance, too.

Thanks so much for the info. I appreciate all of the good, practical advice you & Celtic Oaks give on this forum very much.

I am not sure if I'll add more breeds, but I like to get opinions from people with experience to weigh along with my reading. I find that the books are very helpful, but people with experience typically have more practical advice. I also like to plan ahead, and have as many ideas & opinions as I can before I make a leap. (I guess it is not a leap when every decision takes 2 years. Let's call it a glacial migration...?)

 

[Oregon Blues]

Duckgirl, I think that 4 weeks separation is pretty common. I am extra cautious. I count back 8 weeks from when I hope to start hatching and separate at that point.

It is definitely extra work. More waterers to break the ice off of and more feeders to check. Even the wellness checks take longer because birds are separated into different areas.

If you are trying to raise purebreds in a serious manner, an oopsie can really set you back. I had a goose this last spring that looked like a quality purebred and I know for a fact that she was a half breed. If I didn't know she was mixed breeding and tried to use her in a breeding program, it would really mess up my flock because she would be passing on genes form 2 very different breeds.

 

[Evelle]

SIGH SIGH SIGH
I NEED A GOOD DRAKE!!! SIGH SIGH SIGH