I need a pep talk

[CoriM]

I am so discouraged with duck-keeping today. I currently have three 2.5 month olds and 5 2.5 year olds. I just started putting the ducklings outside at night - they all sleep in the same house with a fence dividing them. One of my older girls is strong and doesn't take anything from the babies, and that is working out great. The others are so scared and the babies chase them all over and will grab onto their feathers - I feel terrible for my big girls and I try to run interference. They are 95% still separated with a fence, but I let them together outside supervised. I can deal with this for a little while, but I really hope they can integrate so I don't have to keep them divided forever.

Last week I posted about my older pekin, Penny, who had an eye issue, which I suspected may have been caused by my other older pekin, Tuppins. It got better, but this morning when I went out to the coop Penny's neck was bleeding. She gets weird scabs that kind of stick off of her neck, and it was just one of those, so cleaned it up and it's okay. This afternoon I had them outside in their tractor and when I went to bring them back to their run I saw Penny's eye is hurt again, and she has a yucky wound on her side, which I know is from Tuppins pulling her feathers. I don't know if Tuppins is getting worse because of the stress of being in a smaller area and just being frustrated by the little ducks. I'm feeling like I made a mistake in adding the babies to my flock. On top of that, I'm using oxine twice a day to vaporize a couple of my other ducks, and the queen of my coop, Puddles, hasn't been herself for a few months and I hate to see her not as peppy as she used to be. I'm just feeling frustrated and sad about my ducks today. I want to enjoy them, and I work like crazy to give them a good life, but it's one thing after another and it feels like a lot! Will it ever get better?

 

[CoriM]

And what pushed me over the edge tonight is I can't find my vetricyn spray for Penny's side, which I just used this morning. Does that ever happen to anyone else? My husband and I spent half an hour looking for it - I'm feeling cursed today!

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Yes, I've had days like that. In fact, when I first added my runners, I kind of regretted it. But, it is working out well now. I'm sure it will work out it just takes time. In fact, I just remembered almost every time I've integrated new birds, I've had varying feelings of regret.
As far as losing the vetricyn - try using neosporin or bag balm if you have any.
Just yesterday I looked around for a small garden shovel for like 10 min, before I saw it in my coop where I left it. It gets worse the older you get.

 

[CoriM]

Haha - I have the same issue with my garden trowel, and my garden clippers. I think even if I had a dozen of each I would never be able to find them! I love the new ducklings, but I love my older girls first, and I don't want them harmed by adding the new ones. I do have silver ointment and I put that on Penny's side wound. I guess tomorrow I will have to divide Tuppins from Penny, so three set-ups. If I knew there would be a happy ending eventually it would help give me energy to deal with it all. Thank you for your encouragement - it's good to know I'm not the only one who's had regret!

 

[ruthhope]

CoriM we all have bad days loosing things -- and its always when we are tired or stressed. So glad your husband helped you with the search

I hope people more knowledgeable will chime in about the health issues your older ducks are having. I can say that I am having integration issues and that I too get upset -- more so than my ducks.

I have a rescued Muscovy that I had to get ducky friends for as a solitary duck can never be truly happy and fulfilled no matter how much they are loved by their human. I worked with a local rehabber and from 6 weeks old my Muscovy was introduced to other rescued/rehabbed ducks and at 10 weeks another Muscovy and a Pekin drake came to live with my Muscovy. I was sad as my Muscovy was bottom of the pecking order. The Pekin drake is bossy and jabs at my Muscovy on her chest and occasionally pulls her chest feathers. She just stands her ground and puts up with it. Initially the new Muscovy would pull out my Muscovy's wing feathers. That has stopped now, and the two cuddle up together at night and mine will preen the other or lie with her neck extended across the other's shoulders. I was more upset about the pecking order behavior than my Muscovy was

Then, recently, I was asked to take another Muscovy by the rehabber -- a very small for her age female. She knows all my ducks from the period when mine was being introduced to others at the rehabber's. I am getting really upset about the treatment of the new little Muscovy. The Pekin drake is bossy with her the same as he is with my Muscovy. The new little Muscovy runs away when he starts. When she first arrived, my second Muscovy jumped on her back, and since then has not used any domineering behavior -- no feather pulling for example. My original sweet Muscovy, also bullies the new little Muscovy -- pushing her around and preventing her feeding from the feeding dish.

I have given the new little Muscovy her own feeding dish in the corner of the coop away from the main dish. This evening she ate happily from it but was frightened to get past the other ducks to the water. Tomorrow I will move one of the water pots to her end of the coop.

I watched them when they came to bed down. The new little Muscovy was snuggling up to my second Muscovy who was letting her nibble the neck feathers. My own original Muscovy sat down with the bossy Pekin Drake, but when she tried to get close and nibble his feathers, he was having none of it, so she got up and moved over to sleep with the other two Muscovies. they seemed okay sleeping together with the second Muscovy between my original Muscovy and the new little Muscovy.

Although the new little Muscovy is obviously afraid of two of the other ducks, my original Muscovy is clearly not too distressed by the bullying by the Pekin drake. Its me who is upset about it.

I suspecting your ducklings will settle down with your older ducks -- who are obviously patient as they are not retaliating to the chasing and feather pulling. I keep wondering why my own Muscovy doesn't just peck the Pekin drake back and stop his behavior. I shout to her "peck him back" but she doesn't; she just stands her ground and puts up with it.

I think it is early days for your ducks and given time they will adjust to each other

 

[Miss Lydia]

I am forever laying something down and it disappearing.
@CoriM It's always so frustrating when things don't go the way we want them to. You want the flock to be happy and get along and it just doesn't seem to be working. This happened to me this spring I bought 6 new chicks all pullets. Well haha one turned out to be a rooster. And since I am a softy I decided to let him stay, I already have 2 roosters. Now that he is going on 4 months old he is sex-driven and he has terrified one of my LF hens to the point she is hiding during the day. I don't know why he has singled her out but He doesn't seem to be aggressive towards any of the other hens just this one. I keep saying our new rooster may end up being a roaster. Which I really don't want to do either. So having a flock that all lives together and there isn't any problems isn't always easy. This is my favorite time of year with my birds breeding season is over the Muscovy drake and my gander aren't fighting and no one is broody. Now I have to deal with this rooster.
Hopefully as your youngest mature they will not be so terrifying to your older girls. Hopefully your older girls will start putting them in their place. What's nice is to look outside and see all the flock laying around together and no one picking on anyone. LOL last for a little while anyway, In spring and summer I have 3 areas set up. It's really a pain but the only way to keep the peace.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

If it makes you feel any better, I just found my weed pulling tool on the front porch. I've been looking for it since the beginning of September. I thought I managed to throw it away and didn't realize it.

 

[CoriM]

CoriM we all have bad days loosing things -- and its always when we are tired or stressed. So glad your husband helped you with the search

I hope people more knowledgeable will chime in about the health issues your older ducks are having. I can say that I am having integration issues and that I too get upset -- more so than my ducks.

I have a rescued Muscovy that I had to get ducky friends for as a solitary duck can never be truly happy and fulfilled no matter how much they are loved by their human. I worked with a local rehabber and from 6 weeks old my Muscovy was introduced to other rescued/rehabbed ducks and at 10 weeks another Muscovy and a Pekin drake came to live with my Muscovy. I was sad as my Muscovy was bottom of the pecking order. The Pekin drake is bossy and jabs at my Muscovy on her chest and occasionally pulls her chest feathers. She just stands her ground and puts up with it. Initially the new Muscovy would pull out my Muscovy's wing feathers. That has stopped now, and the two cuddle up together at night and mine will preen the other or lie with her neck extended across the other's shoulders. I was more upset about the pecking order behavior than my Muscovy was

Then, recently, I was asked to take another Muscovy by the rehabber -- a very small for her age female. She knows all my ducks from the period when mine was being introduced to others at the rehabber's. I am getting really upset about the treatment of the new little Muscovy. The Pekin drake is bossy with her the same as he is with my Muscovy. The new little Muscovy runs away when he starts. When she first arrived, my second Muscovy jumped on her back, and since then has not used any domineering behavior -- no feather pulling for example. My original sweet Muscovy, also bullies the new little Muscovy -- pushing her around and preventing her feeding from the feeding dish.

I have given the new little Muscovy her own feeding dish in the corner of the coop away from the main dish. This evening she ate happily from it but was frightened to get past the other ducks to the water. Tomorrow I will move one of the water pots to her end of the coop.

I watched them when they came to bed down. The new little Muscovy was snuggling up to my second Muscovy who was letting her nibble the neck feathers. My own original Muscovy sat down with the bossy Pekin Drake, but when she tried to get close and nibble his feathers, he was having none of it, so she got up and moved over to sleep with the other two Muscovies. they seemed okay sleeping together with the second Muscovy between my original Muscovy and the new little Muscovy.

Although the new little Muscovy is obviously afraid of two of the other ducks, my original Muscovy is clearly not too distressed by the bullying by the Pekin drake. Its me who is upset about it.

I suspecting your ducklings will settle down with your older ducks -- who are obviously patient as they are not retaliating to the chasing and feather pulling. I keep wondering why my own Muscovy doesn't just peck the Pekin drake back and stop his behavior. I shout to her "peck him back" but she doesn't; she just stands her ground and puts up with it.

I think it is early days for your ducks and given time they will adjust to each other

Thank you. Sounds like you're dealing with a tough situation as well. I can't bear to see any of my ducks get hurt or suffer. It's so sweet that you have rescued some ducks, and that you pay such close attention and care about their needs. I hope your situation smooths out quickly!

 

[CoriM]

I am forever laying something down and it disappearing.
@CoriM It's always so frustrating when things don't go the way we want them to. You want the flock to be happy and get along and it just doesn't seem to be working. This happened to me this spring I bought 6 new chicks all pullets. Well haha one turned out to be a rooster. And since I am a softy I decided to let him stay, I already have 2 roosters. Now that he is going on 4 months old he is sex-driven and he has terrified one of my LF hens to the point she is hiding during the day. I don't know why he has singled her out but He doesn't seem to be aggressive towards any of the other hens just this one. I keep saying our new rooster may end up being a roaster. Which I really don't want to do either. So having a flock that all lives together and there isn't any problems isn't always easy. This is my favorite time of year with my birds breeding season is over the Muscovy drake and my gander aren't fighting and no one is broody. Now I have to deal with this rooster.
Hopefully as your youngest mature they will not be so terrifying to your older girls. Hopefully your older girls will start putting them in their place. What's nice is to look outside and see all the flock laying around together and no one picking on anyone. LOL last for a little while anyway, In spring and summer I have 3 areas set up. It's really a pain but the only way to keep the peace.

Sounds like you have your hands full as well. At the back of my mind I am also concerned about the two runner ducklings. I ordered three females, but their voices are male to me, and it seems like they should be differentiating by now. My duclair's voice was obvious by 6 weeks. Ugh, I didn't want to introduce that complication to my already complicated situation, but I'm committed now and care about all of them, so will wait and see how it all unfolds. I'm glad I'm not the only one who has multiple set-ups. Thank you for your kind and encouraging words!

 

[ruthhope]

Thank you. Sounds like you're dealing with a tough situation as well. I can't bear to see any of my ducks get hurt or suffer. It's so sweet that you have rescued some ducks, and that you pay such close attention and care about their needs. I hope your situation smooths out quickly!

I'm sure that your situation and mine will settle down quickly as the days shorten. and we will have peace in the ducks house!