Integrating ducklings

cici_p

Songster
10 Years
Feb 27, 2009
369
5
129
So my original plan to get two ducks and a goose were complicated a little when I discovered this site. . .
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I kept my order in for the two ducks and a goose, but also hatched out both goose and duck eggs.
My duck eggs hatched only one week after my first ducklings arrived, which I thought would be great timing.
However, my little white crested and runner duckling (the two that I kept) are no match for my pekins!!!!!
The pekins are at least 10 times their size! The pekins are almost the size of my three week old goose, and the younger ducklings are about the size of my two week old chicks!
When I have tried to put them in together, the pekins are quite aggressive, specifically one who will go out of her way to chase and peck at them.
Considering the size difference, it looks like she could take their head off if she wanted to!
Obviously I can't leave them together unsupervised.
What can I do to get them together?
I do not want to have two separate pens of ducks!!!!! My plan was to put everyone in together!
I am even considering re-homing the more aggressive pekin if she does not change her ways.
The youngest ducklings are two weeks old, the pekins are three, as is the older goose.
Any advice or experience? I am feeling frustrated with the number of brooders I have to keep going. . .
 
I recently integrated two groups of ducklings without any trouble. They were roughly the same ages as yours, maybe a week off.

In my case, though, they were two larger groups -- 11 or 12 in each group. And I don't have any Pekins.

When I integrate chickens, I always try to have at least three birds in the new group. That spreads around the aggression of the established group. IMHO, you should have kept at least three or four of the younger ducklings to give them more of a mini-flock. But since you didn't, maybe you can try again on integration in another week or two. Also, when you do integrate them, make sure that you have lots of good hiding places/shelters in whatever enclosure you use. If the big ducks can't see the little ducks, they are less likely to attack them.

Good luck!
 
What i have learned is that if you put both groups in a strange pen where nobody is dominant there is a lot less fighting. In other words take the the birds from pen 1 and 2 and put them in pen 3 together.
 

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