Help with Geese and ducklings!!!

[igotgoosed]

I need some help with how to get my Pilgrim geese and grown Pekin duck to accept the ducklings we are trying to add to the group. The ducklings are partially feathered and big enough to be outside now. They are in a separate pen inside the goose area and have been there for about a week. I was hoping the geese would want to adopt them...but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. Both ganders and the goose charge them and chase them whenever we let them out to see how they do together. I'm worried if we just leave them out the geese will kill them. I want to get the ducklings out of that separate pen as they will soon be outgrowing it. The goal is for them to be able to live together peacefully. The geese and the Pekin duck were together since they were babies by the way. Also, the Pekin duck has paired up with my goose! Which is annoying but harmless I suppose as the ganders still mate with her. Hopefully one of the 3 pekin ducklings will be a female so the pekin drake can move on to his own species lol.

*Another question and issue. One of the pekin ducklings seems to have a birth defect in the leg. I looks like it is out of place at the joint or something. It hobbles around and has to stop and rest frequently. It doesn't swim that well either. It eats, drinks, bathes, etc normally. I'm worried about what to do with it. Any ideas or suggestions?

 

[larkflying]

The ducklings might be too big to trigger the baby instinct . . . My suggestion would have been to have them in separate areas, but it looks like that is what you are already doing. Maybe adding an hour or so a day where you go out with them and just let the two groups mix, before partitioning . .. or maybe adding one bird at a time to the new duck group and seeing if one would accept them . . . There is a pecking order and most times after it is established they do okay together . . .

I'm sure someone will have better ideas . . .

 

[igotgoosed]

The ducklings might be too big to trigger the baby instinct . . .  My suggestion would have been to have them in separate areas, but it looks like that is what you are already doing.   Maybe adding an hour or so a day where you go out with them and just let the two groups mix, before partitioning . .. or maybe adding one bird at a time to the new duck group and seeing if one would accept them  . . .  There is a pecking order and most times after it is established they do okay together . . .

I'm sure someone will have better ideas . . .

Thanks for the reply. I'm going to try just letting them together while supervised like you suggested. The one im worried about is the baby with the bad leg. He or she wont be able to get away

 

[igotgoosed]

Anyone else have any input?

 

[btwhitaker]

If the ducklings are already fledging, then they are too old for the geese to be interested in raising them. I think it would be best to let them all out on a pond to get things figured out. If the geese are chasing them, having them on the water will allow the ducklings to dive and escape the geese. The geese will accept them, but they will probably want to beat them up and put them in their place first. Since the ducklings weren't raised with the geese, they should be able to live together perfectly fine after the geese rough them up. They probably will not kill the ducklings, but you may want to wait until they are older and better able to flee. Geese are incredibly physical creatures. Don't rescue the ducklings as soon as the geese get after them. Allow them to interact under your watchful eye and things should work out fine!

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Until your ducklings are full grown and can "hold their own" the geese pose a threat to them. You may be tired of indoor ducklings, and yes they might be ready to be outside, but they are not ready and won't be for some time to be with the geese. They need their own seperate area to grow out and be safe in, but where the drake and geese and ganders can all see them.

 

[igotgoosed]

Thanks guys. I currently have them outside in a pen which is inside the fenced goose area so they can see each other. So, I will continue to keep them there until they get bigger. We fenced part of the pond off (which is included in the goose pen) and let them out to have a swim and play every day. They were all out together today for a long time, supervised of course, and they did pretty well. I did have to bop gander Hamlet with the stick a couple of times because he chased them down. But all in all I would say it was a productive interaction.
Thanks again for the help!!