Intro to Flock tips

[AbbeyRoad]

Hi All- My two 2 month old runner ducklings are having a hard time integrating into my runner flock.

I have 1 drake runner and 2 hens (I had 2 hen runner mixes, but rehomed them to replace with the new ducklings). I also have a mated pair of sebastopols.

I raised up 2 runner hens and 1 male sebastopol gosling. I got a slightly younger female sebbie gosling for new genetics.

The goslings and ducklings all hung out in a separate baby group. The Runners hang out away from the geese, which is to be expected.

My drake is chasing and mounting the ducklings when he has the chance. But has slowed down in frequency considerably. And honestly, they girls can outrun him. The larger gosling will come to their rescue. The older geese don't like the ducklings hanging out with their goslings.

I am housing at night the 4 female runners together, Drake by himself and all geese together. The older gosling is now leaving the ducklings/younger gosling to hang out with his parents more.

I was hoping the two ducklings would start to hang out with the runner group. But they don't, they are always the two of them by themselves.

I intro'd all the other runners separately last year, as that is how I was able to buy them. And those all went great. The drake was only a few months old, but he was very accepting. I was expecting the same thing this time.

During the day they all have free access to the fenced in yard. I had kept the babies in a corral/tractor for a while to protect them. So it is not like they were just let loose.

How do I get the new girls to group with the older group? Just time?

 

[Amiga]

Takes time, sometimes. It is up to the ducks. Our first integration of two buffs went pretty well. Took a matter of hours.

The next trio, took weeks and weeks and when mating season began we had to separate them again. Long story.

So about half the year we are two flocks. It's okay, and I hope eventually we will get past it, but the safety and health of one duck in particular is at stake and I won't sacrifice her just to prove a point.

 

[Going Quackers]

I agree with Amiga it takes time, plus sometimes i don't find they ever fully integrate... i have smaller flocks within my big flock.. duck flock dynamics are complicated and not something us humans can fully understand.