I need advice.
I hatched 8 little black runners, and they are about a month give or take. I also have three chocolate runners that are 1+ years old. The coop is 8x16 and the adjoining run is 11x16.
When I moved the ducklings outside the older ducks were quite mean, so I created a small little pen for the ducklings so that no actual contact could occur. I thought that after the older ducklings saw them for a while then they would be fine with them.
At first the older chocolate runner ducks had the full range of the coop/run minus the small pen area of the coop where I put the youngsters. But the the youngsters grew so fast. Anyway, during this times I would take the youngsters out of their pen to join the older ducks each day for a couple days or so. Each time the older ladies would start to peck at them after a little while so I would separate again. I then thought that perhaps the older ladies are just being territorial because they think the youngsters are invading their area, so I then divided the coop in half but allowed one side to have access the run(this is the lion share of the whole set-up). I gave the larger portion to the youngsters and the smaller to the older ducks to see if that would break up the territorial nature of the older ducks when I brought them over. My rational is that perhaps the ladies would think they are intruding on the ducklings area. It had been two days since this new set-up so I brought one of the older ladies into the area where the ducklings are and for 15 minutes all was fine. But after a few more minutes, the older chocolate runner began chasing and nipping at the ducklings again. So, I put her back with the two other older chocolate runners in the smaller area.
Ugh! I have got to find a way for them to all play nice. Any ideas? Here is a pic of the latest set-up. You can see the divider. I am standing in the run section.
I hatched 8 little black runners, and they are about a month give or take. I also have three chocolate runners that are 1+ years old. The coop is 8x16 and the adjoining run is 11x16.
When I moved the ducklings outside the older ducks were quite mean, so I created a small little pen for the ducklings so that no actual contact could occur. I thought that after the older ducklings saw them for a while then they would be fine with them.
At first the older chocolate runner ducks had the full range of the coop/run minus the small pen area of the coop where I put the youngsters. But the the youngsters grew so fast. Anyway, during this times I would take the youngsters out of their pen to join the older ducks each day for a couple days or so. Each time the older ladies would start to peck at them after a little while so I would separate again. I then thought that perhaps the older ladies are just being territorial because they think the youngsters are invading their area, so I then divided the coop in half but allowed one side to have access the run(this is the lion share of the whole set-up). I gave the larger portion to the youngsters and the smaller to the older ducks to see if that would break up the territorial nature of the older ducks when I brought them over. My rational is that perhaps the ladies would think they are intruding on the ducklings area. It had been two days since this new set-up so I brought one of the older ladies into the area where the ducklings are and for 15 minutes all was fine. But after a few more minutes, the older chocolate runner began chasing and nipping at the ducklings again. So, I put her back with the two other older chocolate runners in the smaller area.
Ugh! I have got to find a way for them to all play nice. Any ideas? Here is a pic of the latest set-up. You can see the divider. I am standing in the run section.