My lone duck

[horsejody]

I have one duck. Right now he lives with my chickens. He is approxitmately 9 weeks old. He is separated into a coop and run with 3 quiet young chickens (3-5 months old) and a couple of quiet hens. One hen has adopted him. The young chickens roost on a rung under a small table. The rung is only 3 inches off the floor, and chester sleeps right next to them on the floor. He also sometimes sleeps in a dog carrier that I leave open on the floor. When he sleeps in the dog carrier, his adopted mother sometimes goes in with him. Chester has a little pool (one of those short totes meant to fit under a bed) in the run. He has a child's wading pool outside the run that he can use when I get home and let everybody out. Right now everything is fine. Will there continue to be such bliss as Chester gets older?

Also, how old does he he need to be before I find out if I need to change his name to Chester Louise? I have listened to the audio recordings of boy vs girl duck quacks. Chester is very talkative and I think that the quack is starting to sound girlish. That could just be wishful thinking on my part though. He is starting to feather now, but is still completely yellow. How old should he be before that tell tale drake feather shows up and crushes my hopes that he might be a she? Also, I am disappointed to say that Chester gets a little more skittish everyday. He used to run to people. Now I have to actually catch him.

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

That must be the sweetest sight: Chester and his 'mamma'

My chickens and ducks are housed and were raised separately so I can only guess the answer as to whether the bliss will continue. I say yes... unless Chester truly is a Chester... at which point he could begin to physically love on the hens. But, that's not to say that everyone won't be cool with that, who knows?

Is Chester still peeping, or does he make all older duck noises? I think the drake feathers show around 4 months? I think my drake sounds more like a frog than a duck, the girls sound more like the Aflac Duck.

 

[GrannySue]

If it's a drake, he'll suddenly notice his hormones and will try to mount the chickens. Even if he's grown up with them.
I know this, and so do 2 of my chickens who have bald spots. John has 4 lady ducks all on his own, but he still goes after his sisters.