Introducing ducklings

[Bookworm0124]

I know there have been posts on this but, I have 3 3 week old babies to Integrate in with my two adults at some point. My hen decided to throw a monkey wrench into that plan by going broody two weeks back. Has anyone successfully introduced younger ducks into a pair of older ducks when the hen is broody? Will she attack them in two weeks when her clutch hatches?

 

[Miss Lydia]

You cannot introduce 3 week old duckling into adult flock for one thing the ducklings may still need warmth. and another you risk the chance all will turn on the ducklings. Your going to have to do intro slowly especially since one must be a drake? and drake are known to kill ducklings . So that being said your female sitting on eggs will have to be separated from the drake for at least 3 weeks before they[ her ducklings] will be old enough to stay out of his way. And your going to have to introduce your 3 week olds to all by slowly bringing them out daily placing them in their own pen it can be temp. So that everyone gets to meet and gets use to each other. This is the only way to keep them safe. What breeds? A broody mama is not going to want to have anything to do with other ducklings she may even injure or kill them.

 

[DuckyDonna]

@Miss Lydia is so right! I have 3-week old ducklings too and if I bring them out to the big duck's run I sit with them and let them look at each other. The babies stay very close to me. You can tell they are a bit scared of the big ones. The big girls act curious but I wouldn't trust them for 1 minute not to hurt the little ones. One of the big girls got pretty aggressive and I think if I hadn't been there with them she would have bitten them or worse.

You could set up temporary fencing within the big duck's run so they could look but not touch. That is what I plan to do if my drake is still in "jail".

 

[Bookworm0124]

You cannot introduce 3 week old duckling into adult flock for one thing the ducklings may still need warmth. and another you risk the chance all will turn on the ducklings. Your going to have to do intro slowly especially since one must be a drake? and drake are known to kill ducklings . So that being said your female sitting on eggs will have to be separated from the drake for at least 3 weeks before they[ her ducklings] will be old enough to stay out of his way. And your going to have to introduce your 3 week olds to all by slowly bringing them out daily placing them in their own pen it can be temp. So that everyone gets to meet and gets use to each other. This is the only way to keep them safe. What breeds? A broody mama is not going to want to have anything to do with other ducklings she may even injure or kill them.

Thank you! One is a Drake and I wasn't sure how he would do with the babies she hatches. He is going to be replaced by one of these babies so he won't be around long. Should I just get rid of him while she's broody? I kept him around so she wouldn't be by herself after his sister died. And I will definitely be keeping the babies apart from them. I'll definitely be doing temporary fencing and not just bringing them out full time, I was speaking future tense when they're a bit older they are Welsh harlequins

 

[chickens really]

Hello..Now that she is Broody you can get rid of the Drake and can introduce the young Ducks to the pen once he is gone. Put up a look no touch fence so Momma and Ducklings are separated from the young ones till the Momma and babies are up moving around..The young Ducks will not mess with Momma and her babies..

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you! One is a Drake and I wasn't sure how he would do with the babies she hatches. He is going to be replaced by one of these babies so he won't be around long. Should I just get rid of him while she's broody? I kept him around so she wouldn't be by herself after his sister died. And I will definitely be keeping the babies apart from them. I'll definitely be doing temporary fencing and not just bringing them out full time, I was speaking future tense when they're a bit older they are Welsh harlequins

She won’t mind the drake not being there. Then all you’ll need to do is put up temp. Fencing while mama is brooding and she is raising her babies .

 

[Bookworm0124]

Thank you so much!!

 

[Raenh]

Is the drakes attacking the babies and killing them a backyard duck thing?
I'm asking because when I first got sugarbaby and even when I tried to take speedy to the pond near where I found her - the male that was there just watched her and didn't even attempt to chase her...

The same group at the pond kinda babysat sugarbaby when I took her over there so I could feed them... I set her down and she took off running under the fence... the one female was trying to adopt her and both males let her cuddle up to them... then they probably noticed I was a little frantic because I couldn't get in the fence to get her nor get her to come out because the one male nipped the female that was trying to adopt her and they all got up and lead sugar to an opening under the fence near me... the one male went under and came over to me and sugar followed him.
Needless to say I caught her up and cuddle her and fed them the rest of the mealworms I had...

Those were my two experiences with the wild/domesticated ducks at the pond, but i go there every so often and I've never seen any of the males try to hurt the babies... even at the crappy hospital pond the males stand around watching while the females herd the babies into or out of the water.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I am not sure on wild ducks or feral Muscovy’s my Muscovy drake stays clear of mamas an ducklings but I have heard many time on here of drakes killing ducklings. And it may depend on circumstances I sure wouldn't have a drake penned up with a-mama an ducklings

 

[Raenh]

I agree with you, they're stronger and heavier then the females. I was just curious.