Integrating large and small breed ducklings?

[meganne79]

Hi! I have an integration question I can't find the answer to, I'd love some help!

I have 3 Silver Appleyards (5 weeks old and giant) and 2 Welsh Harlequins (3.5 weeks old and pretty small). I need to integrate them soon but the couple times we've tried to let them mingle the much bigger Appleyards were really rough with the littles and I'm afraid they may hurt/kill them because of the size difference.

The Appleyards are mostly feathered and ready to go out to their temporary run this weekend but the harlequins have very few feathers so they need to stay in at night probably for another couple weeks. Can I start putting them all together in the run during the day but putting the harlequins back inside the garage at night or are they going to act like they've never met and fight each morning? Their brooders have been side by side all along but that doesn't seem to matter to them!

Their permanent run will be done in 1-2 weeks so I can also wait and put them all together at once in a totally new spot but I'd love for them to be friends and enjoy the fresh air if possible!

Thoughts? Thanks a ton!

 

[Vyctoria]

I don't know if it'll work for you and your current setup, but I'll just share what I did and maybe it will give some ideas.

I put up a fence in their coop that was basically like a baby gate so that I could split them up at night and the bigger ones couldn't hurt the ducklings, but they could still see each other and adjust. Then I'd let the bigger ones out during the day, while the young ones stayed in. When I was home, I'd let the ducklings out for short periods of supervised interaction. The adults would chase them, but were bigger and slower at this point so they couldn't catch them to do anything. I eventually increased the times they were together until I noticed there wasn't any more drama between them and I took the gate down.

 

[Krazyquilts]

One of our first set of ducklings was a runt (along with other issues) and grew so slowly that the other ducklings began accidentally running her over because they just didn't see her. It happened so often that she developed some permanent leg problems because of it. So personally, I'd keep different age groups separated until the little ones start catching up. Is it possible to divide the run into two different areas?

 

[meganne79]

Thank you both! I'm sure I can figure out a way to separate the run for a few weeks. I wish I'd realized the size difference in breeds. The Appleyards are so fun but huge already!

 

[Krazyquilts]

Thank you both! I'm sure I can figure out a way to separate the run for a few weeks. I wish I'd realized the size difference in breeds. The Appleyards are so fun but huge already!

It is amazing how quickly they grow, isn't it? I've never had Appleyards (yet ) but if they are like the breeds I've had, they should slow down a bit once they reach around 8-10 weeks or so. But the Welsh Harlequins are supposed to be smaller than Appleyards even as adults so you might have to wait even longer.

P.S. Pics would be nice!

 

[meganne79]

I let them all out to swim yesterday and it went so-so. They are definitely not ready to be trusted without supervision yet! Sophia, the Appleyard in the pool was pretty nasty to the Harlequins but I stood right there to supervise and intervene. It's pretty crazy they are only 11 days apart both in terms of size and feathering! My big girls spent their first night outside in their temporary run but I think it'll be a couple weeks on the littles. In the meantime I'll work on a way to have them separated but visible to each other for a bit.

 

[Krazyquilts]

They all look so cute and happy!

 

[meganne79]

They all look so cute and happy!

So far, I LOVE the Appleyards! You should definitely have them on your list. They are gorgeous and pretty docile. The only issue we've had is a little leg trouble with one girl when she was about 3-4 weeks old because they grow so incredibly fast, I upped their niacin and it seems to have helped?

 

[chickens really]

I have Appleyards too....I love them....Keep doing as you have been...Letting them together is the only way they will figure things out......The more you interfere the longer it will take .....Young Ducklings will be bossy with each other...The good thing is it is not hormone fuelled so it should be fine the more they get the chance to be friends......

They are all so cute..

 

[Krazyquilts]

Oh, I definitely want Appleyards. I just have to wait until we move to our farm. One of our Buffs seems like she might be thinking about going broody so I think I'm going to let her sit on 8 eggs. Assuming 6 of those hatch, I might be able to convince my husband that I'm going to keep 2 but I'll have to find a home for the others because we are running out of room. The current property we are looking into has 49 acres!!!!!!! and about 2/3 of that can be brush-hogged and turned into fields, so that could hold a lot of ducks!!!