Introducing Ducklings to Aggressive Drakes?

[Chic_girl]

I need to get my three Khaki ladies out of my garage and in with the 'big' ducks. They are nearing six weeks, and are past the age respectable ducks would have struck out on their own, but I have a problem- my two mutt-Runner males are out to get them.

Even as week-olds, whenever my drakes heard their peeping, they would charge across the yard and terrorize them, even if I was in the pen next to them. My three Runner ladies are stand-offish, and don't care for these uncultured maidens I have tried to introduce them to.

My attempted solution was to separate the male runners, and leave the ducklings with the female Runners. Then, when that flock was settled, send the boys back in to reestablish the pecking order.
The runner and khaki girls remain wary of each other, and avoid contact at any cost, even during feeding time. One female runner will charge the khakis half-heartedly, but otherwise, they don't care to mingle at all. Once, the boys broke through the fencing, and chased the khakis around, grabbing them by they're necks, almost like mating, but obviously for dominance.

I don't want to throw them all together, and get my Khaki's hurt- they will be show ducks, after all.

I'd like advice on how anyone else integrated their flocks, and how long it took the pecking order to settle. My Khakis are still young, so should I wait until they reach full size, or is it better to let them establish themselves now?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I need to get my three Khaki ladies out of my garage and in with the 'big' ducks. They are nearing six weeks, and are past the age respectable ducks would have struck out on their own, but I have a problem- my two mutt-Runner males are out to get them.

Even as week-olds, whenever my drakes heard their peeping, they would charge across the yard and terrorize them, even if I was in the pen next to them. My three Runner ladies are stand-offish, and don't care for these uncultured maidens I have tried to introduce them to.

My attempted solution was to separate the male runners, and leave the ducklings with the female Runners. Then, when that flock was settled, send the boys back in to reestablish the pecking order.
The runner and khaki girls remain wary of each other, and avoid contact at any cost, even during feeding time. One female runner will charge the khakis half-heartedly, but otherwise, they don't care to mingle at all. Once, the boys broke through the fencing, and chased the khakis around, grabbing them by they're necks, almost like mating, but obviously for dominance.

I don't want to throw them all together, and get my Khaki's hurt- they will be show ducks, after all.

I'd like advice on how anyone else integrated their flocks, and how long it took the pecking order to settle. My Khakis are still young, so should I wait until they reach full size, or is it better to let them establish themselves now?

Can you split the fence down the middle so they can all see each other but your drakes can't get to them. After being like this for a few weeks then try introducing the males one at a time with supervision and see how that goes. There will probably be some grabbing but hopefully they will have lived side by side long enough that it won't be much. When we brought hom our 3 new Muscovy ducks last sept. about the only thing i saw was the older ones would grab the new girls if they got close and the drakes at the time could have cared less, but it was at end of mating season, your right in the begining.

 

[GrannyCarol]

I generally would not put them together quite yet. Your Khakis are pretty young. Give them another couple of weeks and, if possible, contain them where they can interact with the older ducks. When you put them together, try to do it in a place where the older ducks are not used to being, so they won't be as territorial.

 

[Chic_girl]

Thanks for the suggestions! Hmm, we have a second duck house that hasn't been used for a while. I think I could put that in the pen and split the pen in half for a few weeks if I had too.

Right now, the boys are out free-ranging, while both the runner and khaki girls are in the pen. The boys are in the pond, and I haven't heard squawking from the pen, so I assume no one must be in any trouble.