I need some help with my flock

[am145999]

All of my ducks are Indian Runners.I have 3 fawn and white males,1 fawn and white female,1 blue female,and 1 blue male.They are about 1 1/2 years.I also have 2 chocolate females that are 7 weeks.My first question is food wise I'm having an issue on what I should feed my 1 1/2 years.My feed store only sells layer or grower.I've been feeding both to them.Do you think I should just feed layer?
My next issue is moving my chocolate females.My 1 1/2 come inside at night in their own pen and I've isolated an area in there for my chocolate females and I'll be putting them in there this weekend.They are fully feathered,but I've been trying to decide whether or not I'm gonna give them a heat lamp.The only reason I'm thinking about it is because my full grown ones have a box fan that I give them on warmer days.So heat lamp or no?
Next issue is introducing my young ones to my full grown ones.If I put them outside together in the fence their fine so long as I sit inside the pen with them,but if I don't.My young ones try to get out of the fence or the fawn and white males will chase them,not in a mean way they just want to breed them.I'm not planning on putting them out together until my young ones are 16 weeks old,but my problem is my fence.Its a solar powered electric fence to keep my neighbor's cats out.How high of a voltage do think would be too high?The lowest it can go is 1000v and the highest is 8000v.I can't control the voltage except for turning it off or on.I was thinking about testing the fence and on a day its at 1000v leave the young ones get shocked on it.I usually just turn it off and watch them to make sure the cats don't get them.

 

[duck boy mo]

I would just give them layer. It works just fine. They won't need a heat lamp as long as it stays above freezing. For integrating them in the flock i have best luck by feeding them together. They are too distracted to pick on the younger ducks. Also just let them hang out around each other. Little picking is usual. After this first time integrating will become easier next time

 

[am145999]

My young females are still imprinted on me so they want to stay with me constantly so they try to get out of the fence and want be to protect them when they get chased.Its just a couple of my males want to breed them and they are far too young for that.My dominate male just completely ignores them which is nice,but my dominate female will chase and peck them sometimes,but she mostly ignores them.She will however chase my fawn and white female away from them.My fawn and white one tries to mother them.What is your opinion on the electric fence?

 

[duck boy mo]

No no no, i think ducks are to small for that. I would get some chicken wire our something and section off part of the pen. Let them get used to seeing each other. I have no experience with ducks trying to stay with me so i don't know how to go about that. It might be hard but you might just hafto leave them be. In the wild i know drakes well rape any new comers to a flock so that's just instinct. Might hafto wait till they are older and can handle the drakes

 

[jdywntr]

All of my ducks are Indian Runners.I have 3 fawn and white males,1 fawn and white female,1 blue female,and 1 blue male.They are about 1 1/2 years.I also have 2 chocolate females that are 7 weeks.My first question is food wise I'm having an issue on what I should feed my 1 1/2 years.My feed store only sells layer or grower.I've been feeding both to them.Do you think I should just feed layer?
My next issue is moving my chocolate females.My 1 1/2 come inside at night in their own pen and I've isolated an area in there for my chocolate females and I'll be putting them in there this weekend.They are fully feathered,but I've been trying to decide whether or not I'm gonna give them a heat lamp.The only reason I'm thinking about it is because my full grown ones have a box fan that I give them on warmer days.So heat lamp or no?
Next issue is introducing my young ones to my full grown ones.If I put them outside together in the fence their fine so long as I sit inside the pen with them,but if I don't.My young ones try to get out of the fence or the fawn and white males will chase them,not in a mean way they just want to breed them.I'm not planning on putting them out together until my young ones are 16 weeks old,but my problem is my fence.Its a solar powered electric fence to keep my neighbor's cats out.How high of a voltage do think would be too high?The lowest it can go is 1000v and the highest is 8000v.I can't control the voltage except for turning it off or on.I was thinking about testing the fence and on a day its at 1000v leave the young ones get shocked on it.I usually just turn it off and watch them to make sure the cats don't get them.

Hi.

First, I have to say, you have FAR too many males for the number of females that you have. 4-6 females per male is recommend though many people are able to get away with less. But the more males you have, the higher the likelihood of fighting between males and over breeding of females.
Your less dominant males are going after the young ducks since they are probably never able to breed with the adult females due to the dominant male. You really need to think about lowering your number of drakes.

With ducks, you should not feed layer until first egg, unlike chickens that are switched at 18-20 weeks. Ducks mature more slowly and it can be 6 months before first egg. I would just feed grower to all and supplement with crushed oyster shell for calcium.

The best way to introduce is to leave them within sight but physically seperated for a while. If they are doing okay when you are there and you aren't having to chase the adults off of the younger ones all of the time, then they should do okay. Again, the excess males will cause a problem.

Typically, at least in my experience, adult drakes will not try to mate with immature females. But I have had too many drakes before and then, they go after anything that moves. Currently, I have 3 adult drakes, 9 adult females, 3 sub adult drakes, 5 sub adult females, 15 juveniles and 44 day old- 2 week old muscovy. I will be butchering 1 adult drake and all of the sub adult drakes very soon. This is because they are starting to harass the females. My drakes are very good about not bothering setting hens or hens with young but the younger boys are starting to bug them and babies will get trampled in the chaos.



If the younger are fully, or almost fully feathered, they don't need heat. Unless you are in a VERY cold climate, at this time of year, they'll be fine.

 

[am145999]

I know I have too many males but my less dominant males do breed with my two adult females and I have no fighting.My more dominant really doesn't interfer unless the less dominant get too rowdy.With my electric fence do you think I should just leave it hit my young ones at 1000v?

 

[Luminide]

Don't use electric fence unless you want traumatized, injured, or dead ducks. Chicken wire will keep the cats out and won't fry your flock.

 

[duck boy mo]

I don't know how well it would work anyway. Their feathers might insulate then from the zap

 

[am145999]

The chicken wire hasn't kep the cats out in the past.I had a 10 ducks 2 years ago and I used chicken wire.The cats got in and needless to say it was a massaccre.My full grown ones got shocked once,I can't remember how old they were,and they weren't traumatized or injuried.I know they can feel it because the first time they got shocked they did quack,but then they got over it and now don't touch the fence.This is what I use.
http://www.premier1supplies.com/fencing.php?mode=detail&fence_id=96

 

[Going Quackers]

Hi.

First, I have to say, you have FAR too many males for the number of females that you have. 4-6 females per male is recommend though many people are able to get away with less. But the more males you have, the higher the likelihood of fighting between males and over breeding of females.
Your less dominant males are going after the young ducks since they are probably never able to breed with the adult females due to the dominant male. You really need to think about lowering your number of drakes.

With ducks, you should not feed layer until first egg, unlike chickens that are switched at 18-20 weeks. Ducks mature more slowly and it can be 6 months before first egg. I would just feed grower to all and supplement with crushed oyster shell for calcium.

The best way to introduce is to leave them within sight but physically seperated for a while. If they are doing okay when you are there and you aren't having to chase the adults off of the younger ones all of the time, then they should do okay. Again, the excess males will cause a problem.

Typically, at least in my experience, adult drakes will not try to mate with immature females. But I have had too many drakes before and then, they go after anything that moves. Currently, I have 3 adult drakes, 9 adult females, 3 sub adult drakes, 5 sub adult females, 15 juveniles and 44 day old- 2 week old muscovy. I will be butchering 1 adult drake and all of the sub adult drakes very soon. This is because they are starting to harass the females. My drakes are very good about not bothering setting hens or hens with young but the younger boys are starting to bug them and babies will get trampled in the chaos.



If the younger are fully, or almost fully feathered, they don't need heat. Unless you are in a VERY cold climate, at this time of year, they'll be fine.

I agree. You don't feed layer to immature non laying ducks, as a matter of fact excessive calcium levels can be toxic. Use grower and give the adults who lay free choice oyster shell, i don't feed layer here because of the varying ages and the fact i own drakes, even that one is debated heavily, drakes don't need the excess calcium and rarely touch oyster shell but when fed layer have little choice but to consume it.

As for the rest, i have no experience with electric fencing, i think with young it's tricky, and certain precautions need to be taken. I usually integrate by allowing young birds to see the others but not be touched, adults can be brutal especially drakes, so you must be careful.