Is this duck okay?

[Miss Lydia]

Your so sweet an caring

 

[SolarDuck]

Penguin has been sleeping all day today. Probably because she decided to harass Karen instead of sleeping their dominance behavior can be very annoying theyre all just laying around and sleeping with eachother peacefully during the day but can't do the same at night
Hopefully as Karen gets a little bigger she will be able to get her revenge

 

[SolarDuck]

I'm not sure why but Penguin just really likes harassing Karen.

Luckily Puffin is out there shes been having to keep her eye on Penguin to stand up for her little friend. Is there anything I could do to encourage bonding between Penguin and Karen?

 

[SolarDuck]

 

[KaleIAm]

Wow, she's really incessant isn't she? And it isn't just over resources, but more over space in general?

Depending on how long the harassment goes on I would be concerned that Karen would be stressed and would consider making a separate area for them.

I'm not sure how to encourage them to bond. I haven't had any luck in that area over the years with my ducks. The best I can seem to do is provide more food and water sources, more space, separate if needed, and I've put my hand between fighting before when Thimble gets really out of line.

I think it can be hormonal at times. When Thimbleberry is showing more nesting behaviors she tends to be more grumpy with Nettle, who is the lowest in our duck hierarchy. Other times it seems to be just establishing or confirming the pecking order. Or maybe it is something else I don't understand.

 

[SolarDuck]

I am thinking hormones are at least somewhat to blame. Penguin did just start trying to go broody yesterday morning I've had to fight her for her eggs. She isn't harassing her all day long mostly just in the morning and late evening. I really want to be able to put them all in the same coop at night, because the coop Karen and Puffin are in right now didn't fit through my fence into my backyard so I just set it up outside the gate, left the gate open, and set up some cheap fencing around the area. I would really like to get them all in the main coop just because having the cheap fencing there rather than my closed gate makes my yard a little more vulnerable to predators.

 

[KaleIAm]

I am thinking hormones are at least somewhat to blame. Penguin did just start trying to go broody yesterday morning I've had to fight her for her eggs. She isn't harassing her all day long mostly just in the morning and late evening. I really want to be able to put them all in the same coop at night, because the coop Karen and Puffin are in right now didn't fit through my fence into my backyard so I just set it up outside the gate, left the gate open, and set up some cheap fencing around the area. I would really like to get them all in the main coop just because having the cheap fencing there rather than my closed gate makes my yard a little more vulnerable to predators.

Yeah that makes complete sense about the predators. If I had to choose between a little harassment and predators I would choose harassment.

I think when you add hormones in they are saying something like, "this yard is for me and my potential babies!" Lol. Oh ducks.

 

[SolarDuck]

Penguin seems pretty determined to lay on some eggs.. I'm thinking I might try giving her some fake eggs to lay on because if she is focused on laying on them she isn't harassing Karen.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My Muscovy do this and they take turns. I’ve had to put a few In time out over night if they won’t stop when everyone goes inside. That usually brings her back right. The other night my youngest who is 8 yrs was chasing my oldest who is almost 14 and she can’t hardly walk so sure didn’t need to be chased I had to step In and put the young one inside with the Runners since that’s who she sleeps with at night. They can really get catty at times.

 

[SolarDuck]

Just giving a little update because it's been a few weeks. I haven't had to treat her or anything since the last posts, she seems to be completely healed up great! Her tail feathers are almost completely grown back. She has also gotten noticeably bigger which is awesome! Just from the pictures I'm attaching you can see how much better she looks. She has been getting along with the other ducks much better too! None of them are really harassing her at all anymore, and she has started to come up with the other girls to eat treats out of my hand, and she also follows me around the yard with the other girls instead of just avoiding me

Overall she is doing great!