Introducing a duckling

[J.R. Pigman]

Hi All!

My wife and I are adding a third duck to our backyard flock, a 6 week old Indian Runner. We currently have 2 full grown Khaki Campbells, a boy and a girl. We just tried to introduce the duckling to them, and our drake started pecking and biting her. Of course we separated them immediately, but what can we do to integrate the new duckling? It looks like he is trying to hurt her, is that the case? My current idea is to make a small enclosure for her until shes a little bigger.

Thanks for the help, as always!

 

[Stuffs Farm]

Hello, I have ducks and you might want to wait till she is about the same size. They have a pecking order like chickens and her being smaller she might get hurt or even worse. Good luck ,hope everything turns out.

 

[RavenStorm]

My fully grown Khaki female did the same thing to any new duckling we tried to bring her. Like chickens ducks need to establish a social hierarchy and that's where the violence comes in if they aren't used to each other.

The way we fixed it was that we kept them separate, but let them see each other every day. Our solution was to keep the ducklings in a clear brooder (i.e.: fish tank lol) next to the sliding glass door near the spot where our Khaki liked to take naps. They could see each other, talk to each other, and got used to the presence of each other till the duckling was big enough to go outside. Then we carefully introduced them to each other, and to a certain point you have to be willing to let the big ducks beat up on the little ones a bit. Once they move past that things should be fine.

 

[J.R. Pigman]

Well I built a 12 x 6 foot run for her, with a bush inside so she can hide. She's peeping like crazy in there, and the drake is circling the cage excitedly, but he's not getting in so far. He did, however, feel it necessary to have sex with our female in front of the new baby when he figured out there was no getting in...several times. Clearly it is a dominance issue.

Looks like it will be a fun month in the backyard