Introducing baby chicks to pekin ducks

[GoodKids]

I wasn't sure whether to put this in Ducks or Managing Your Flock. I hope I picked the right one!

I have a pair of pekin ducks. I got them at a couple days old when my 4 Australorps were a couple weeks old. Other than their normal ducky behavior (which mainly includes anything wet!) they think they are siblings to the chickens. They free range together and sleep together and get upset if they are separated for even a second. My problem is that my 4 straight run Australorps, now at 11 weeks old, are looking like 4 roosters. That means they will be headed for the freezer in the next couple months. I have 11 chicks due to arrive next week. When my chicks are about 4-5 weeks old and ready to go to the coop, the ducks will be approximately 14-15 weeks old. I'm trying to figure out how to coordinate this!

How do pekins normally do with new chicks added to their flock? And do you think they would do better if I introduce the chicks before I remove their 4 "brothers" or after? I don't want to stress Quacker and Jax out anymore than need be. But, of couse, I don't want my little Favs and silkies to get hurt either.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

I do not have pekins but do have a call - Peepers - who was raised with bantam chicks. He now thinks he is a chicken and will have nothing - not a thing - to do with the ducks (it is spring and he does not even want a ducky girlfriend).

Peepers was raised with 5, four of whom turned out to be cockerels. I have process two so far, but will keep the one who is his most favorite. The hen sadly was killed by a raven - so we are down to the 2 roos.

Peepers does not mind any of the other chickens - the ones who were not raised with him accept him and the young ones coming up also just take for granted that he is part of their flock.


My other ducks do not "mingle" for social reasons with the chickens - they all live in the same run, coop and run the property - but only Peepers "flocks" with the chickens.



I would process two of the "brothers" - keeping the ducks two favs - then add your chicks (separate them for a bit - so they can see each other but not get picked on). After a week or two then I would run them all together and slowly process the other two "brothers".

 

[GoodKids]

Thank you for your words of experience! I think that's what I will do instead of taking all four away at once. I hope they make some good friends with the new batch and get along!

We should be getting our new chicks today or tomorrow!

 

[SugarDuck]

We have four Pekin ducks and while they are not the oldest thing in the yard they are certainly the biggest. We tried introducing 4 new ducks to them a few weeks ago and all they do is chase them off? They chase the chickens we have as well if they get too close. The new ducks are a couple of black Cayugas and a couple of black runner mixes. The black ones are only about 4 weeks old but the Pekins won't have anything to do with them?