flock issues - question for the duck experts

[Jacob Duckman]

5 weeks ago, I incubated and hatched two ducklings and I have introduced them to my other two adult ducks (the parents, a Rouen Drake and a Crested hen.) yesterday morning.

Since yesterday, they have kept a large distance from each other and the parents will hiss and charge at the ducklings when they get too close. At night I'm having to lock them up and they seem to each stay far away in their own corners.

Are they ever going to get along and stay all together or are they going to stay isolated like that for the foreseeable future?

 

[sourland]

As long as the adults are not injuring the ducklings they will eventually work things out. Keep an eye on the drake to make sure that he does not try breeding the ducklings.

 

[Vyctoria]

When I was initially introducing my younger group to the older ducks, I just put up a fence in between them in the coop at night. I actually used a puppy gate so that they could check them out, but they couldn't hurt each other. Took about a week or so and then I let them out together for short, supervised intervals. By that time the adults still chased them quite a bit, but the younger ones were faster so there was no issue. Now they all get along great, except the younger ducks are always on the bottom of the pecking order.

 

[chickens really]

When they are still peeping, older Ducks hate them.....Keep separate till they quack......


Cheers!