First ducklings! HELP PLEASE!

[CandiMarieE]

Hello we are currently hatching our first lot of ducklings, one was placed in the brooder Saturday morning and I’ve just added number 2 but the older one keeps pecking the younger ones face, is this normal duckling behaviour? I’m worried it’s gonna end up really hurting it!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Newly hatched ducklings are worn out from all that hatching work, sure doesn't hurt to give them a day or two to get over it before putting them in with older ducklings. Just think of it this way. Your tired from working all day and you just want to rest but someone keeps poking you in the face.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Make a barrier to separate the older from the newer ones but where they can still see each other. I had to do this a couple of years ago when I had older ducklings and newly hatched I used a scrap piece of hardware cloth wrapped the edges in tape so no one got poked give the new ones a few days to get their legs under them then try snd introduce
Congrats on your ducklings, what breed? Your duckling you placed in the brooder on Sat has no idea what that is you put in with him/her. Next time you hatch place a safe mirror in the brooder so the first one sees another duckling.

 

[The Duck Dad]

Thank you. The younger has started to fight back now and they are currently snoozing together, should I still separate them as they seem to be getting on better? They’re silver appleyards, we have 3 females and a male and we just love the breed

Ah, I would just leave them. They will soon figure out to like each other. If they still do it tomorrow, I would separate them

 

[Miss Lydia]

Not if things are going good now, just watch how it goes when you place others that hatch in. It took a couple days for mine to accept the new ones but they were already a week old that's great they have already bonded.

 

[CoriM]

I had two sets of ducklngs a week apart and there was a little bullying for the first several hours. I just watched closely and intervened. By the end of the day they were all good!

 

[CandiMarieE]

Thank you. The younger has started to fight back now and they are currently snoozing together, should I still separate them as they seem to be getting on better? They’re silver appleyards, we have 3 females and a male and we just love the breed

 

[EmmaGRS]

Hello we are currently hatching our first lot of ducklings, one was placed in the brooder Saturday morning and I’ve just added number 2 but the older one keeps pecking the younger ones face, is this normal duckling behaviour? I’m worried it’s gonna end up really hurting it!

They should be fine after a couple hours or days. My ducks always picked on new guys, wether little or not and of all ages. Sometimes it takes a little bit but if it goes on constantly and for a while, might be best to seperate them. But for now it sounds like they’re doing good!