Gender help again please!

[Tretinker]

I bet they will be Drake's then.
But I don't throw in the towel until their voice changes to the raspy Drake sound.

It was something I was wondering, we won't but I'm so relieved Oreo and Custard are girls, they are my daughter's ducks and are her favourite she would have hated having to choose between them.

I am curious in how to introduce a new duck or two if we need to. Most of the things I've read recommend 3 to 1 ratio and so we would need to swap out a boy for a girl but can we do this or would there be problems for the new one joining the group? It's one of the reasons I wanted to try and do it as soon as possible, I was hoping the younger they are at introduction the easier it would be for the newcomer.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

It was something I was wondering, we won't but I'm so relieved Oreo and Custard are girls, they are my daughter's ducks and are her favourite she would have hated having to choose between them.

I am curious in how to introduce a new duck or two if we need to. Most of the things I've read recommend 3 to 1 ratio and so we would need to swap out a boy for a girl but can we do this or would there be problems for the new one joining the group? It's one of the reasons I wanted to try and do it as soon as possible, I was hoping the younger they are at introduction the easier it would be for the newcomer.

Sometimes you get lucky and introductions go good from the start with ducks.
But typically it's best if you can set up a separate but not touch pen for the new ones until they get used to them being there a few days. Then when you decide to try it it's usually best to do it in neutral territory.. or for example pen up your existing flock and let the newbies out into whatever space your other ducks are normally in for a few hours before you let your original ducks out to greet them. Expect a little bit of picking at each other and establishing dominance. But supervise for a little while to see if it's going to be extreme. It also kind of depends on the time of year and if your Drake is really hormonal at the time you try introducing new girls.
If you're in the height of breeding season they're typically going to try and jump on them the minute they have access. And that can be an issue.

 

[Tretinker]

Sometimes you get lucky and introductions go good from the start with ducks.
But typically it's best if you can set up a separate but not touch pen for the new ones until they get used to them being there a few days. Then when you decide to try it it's usually best to do it in neutral territory.. or for example pen up your existing flock and let the newbies out into whatever space your other ducks are normally in for a few hours before you let your original ducks out to greet them. Expect a little bit of picking at each other and establishing dominance. But supervise for a little while to see if it's going to be extreme. It also kind of depends on the time of year and if your Drake is really hormonal at the time you try introducing new girls.
If you're in the height of breeding season they're typically going to try and jump on them the minute they have access. And that can be an issue.

Great thanks, we would avoid breeding season and would like to do it long before then so the girls we have aren't overwhelmed.

 

[Tretinker]

Weird that post I wrote on Wednesday, I must not have actually posted it!

Anyway I have an update on this.....husband gave in and we now have 2 female ducklings they are 3 weeks old but not handled like our 4 original ones so they see us as mortal enemies and run screaming from us at the first opportunity but they are as cute as buttons and we are will start to slowly integrate tomorrow they will go in the look no touch run.

I don't have any pictures yet because they are so scatty but one is yellow and black and one is kind of grey.

 

[Nerdmom81]

Weird that post I wrote on Wednesday, I must not have actually posted it!

Anyway I have an update on this.....husband gave in and we now have 2 female ducklings they are 3 weeks old but not handled like our 4 original ones so they see us as mortal enemies and run screaming from us at the first opportunity but they are as cute as buttons and we are will start to slowly integrate tomorrow they will go in the look no touch run.

I don't have any pictures yet because they are so scatty but one is yellow and black and one is kind of grey.

How awesome! Can’t wait to see them. Ducks are so funny. They tend to be afraid of everything at first. Mine see me as the “food lady” so they get very bossy in the mornings when I let them out of their house and they’re right under foot to get their breakfast.

 

[Tretinker]

I tied to take some pictures today but if I came within 10feet of the brooder they start frantically running up and down screaming

Poor little girls are petrified so I've been sitting as close as I dare in my breaks so they get use to the idea of us at least.

This is the only picture I got and the colour is off because I was in the sun and they were in the dark. One is yellow and black and the other is a kind of grey colour.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Aren’t they precious The best way to win them over is to just sit with them and of course something like mealworms to bribe them with Once they see how your other ducks respond to you they’ll slowly come around.

 

[Tretinker]

Aren’t they precious The best way to win them over is to just sit with them and of course something like mealworms to bribe them with Once they see how your other ducks respond to you they’ll slowly come around.

This is good news, the others are super friendly with me and were sitting with me today having a nibble.
Can ducklings have mealworms? I wasn't sure if they'd be able too. Great news if they can I might have friends sooner rather than later

 

[Miss Lydia]

Of course they can. When mine are a week or 2 old I do kind of crush them just a bit in my hand before offering. Just remember these are treats and should only be 10% of their daily feed

 

[Tretinker]

Of course they can. When mine are a week or 2 old I do kind of crush them just a bit in my hand before offering. Just remember these are treats and should only be 10% of their daily feed

Great! We waited for the older ones to be 5 weeks so it's good to know these girls can enjoy them too, thanks!