New Duck Introduction/Integration Thread

[loofa]

I've read a lot of threads on here about integrating a new duck into the flock, but most of them honestly are very short, not a lot of comments, and often highly situation specific. If this already exists somewhere else feel free to point me in that direction, but if not, I'd love for us to have a more general thread about introducing new ducks to a flock. I'd love to hear from a variety of people to get an idea of what most people do, or reasoning behind the outliers. I'm mostly thinking about adult duck introductions here as I think there are a lot of threads more specific to introducing younger ducks to a flock.

• How long do keep them separated before letting them mingle?

• Quarantine - if new duck comes from questionable background but appears to be fine, what are we looking for? How long do folks like to wait in that situation?

• When you integrate them do you sneak the new duck into the flock coop at night? Or release them all into free-range time together in the morning?

• At what point do you intervene if your flock is being mean to the newbie?

• Please share any and all tips for harmonious new duck introduction/integration!

•

 

[Jenbirdee]

I'll take question number 3 lol
ducks dont sleep all night like chickens
ducks are like teenage girls at a sleepover party
so, "sneaking" new ducks in at night wouldn't be good. impossible, in fact.
I let them out together free range in morning so I can watch what happens

 

[loofa]

I'll take question number 3 lol
ducks dont sleep all night like chickens
ducks are like teenage girls at a sleepover party
so, "sneaking" new ducks in at night wouldn't be good. impossible, in fact.
I let them out together free range in morning so I can watch what happens

oh my gosh, this is exactly what I was thinking when i saw people in various places talk about putting new ducks in the coop at night, but I hadn't come up with the hilarious and accurate way of wording it that you have

 

[telandra2]

I've added ducks about 6 times now. I release the new ducks into the coop during the day with the duck door open so they can leave whenever they want. The new ducks can explore when they feel ready and they can hear the flock off free ranging.

They all bed down together. Sometimes (breeding season?) the flock is more agressive and other times the newbies are scared. I have pet playpen fencing to make an escape area for the new birds. (Like a 4-6" gap they can squeeze through but also stops chasing and casual bullying.)

I just added 4 girls today (too many drakes I don't want to cull.) They discovered the pool within 2 hours and are sleeping comfortably amongst the others. Previously was a group of Runners that really needed their own area and still didn't leave the coop after two weeks. I finally shooed them out into the run, then started herding them toward the flock, but they continued to want their own separate sleep area. They are integrated now but still like to stick together.

Same method used for geese, although they are more agressive about shooing any stranger to the fringes. I've had some geese that are an instant new gaggle, and another where the poor girl was kept away (even from her own goslings) months later.

 

[loofa]

I've added ducks about 6 times now. I release the new ducks into the coop during the day with the duck door open so they can leave whenever they want. The new ducks can explore when they feel ready and they can hear the flock off free ranging.

They all bed down together. Sometimes (breeding season?) the flock is more agressive and other times the newbies are scared. I have pet playpen fencing to make an escape area for the new birds. (Like a 4-6" gap they can squeeze through but also stops chasing and casual bullying.)

I just added 4 girls today (too many drakes I don't want to cull.) They discovered the pool within 2 hours and are sleeping comfortably amongst the others. Previously was a group of Runners that really needed their own area and still didn't leave the coop after two weeks. I finally shooed them out into the run, then started herding them toward the flock, but they continued to want their own separate sleep area. They are integrated now but still like to stick together.

Same method used for geese, although they are more agressive about shooing any stranger to the fringes. I've had some geese that are an instant new gaggle, and another where the poor girl was kept away (even from her own goslings) months later.

I just made a new post as our new duck is not integrating well. I had not seen your reply here before and just wanted to acknowledge it. It's weird as it's not breeding season and they had a good two weeks of getting to know her through a fence.

 

[FNF]

I'd like to revive this thread I have three year-old female runner ducks and I have three 6-week old runner ducklings. I raised them inside in their brooder and I've been bringing them outside and putting them near (sometimes with, but supervised) the adults in their large pen for nearly three weeks for partial and all-day trips. Oddly it's the ducklings that tend to chase off the adults! I want to get them integrated in the next two weeks - out of the brooder (and my house) and into the flock. They are outside again today with a small pen and a little kiddie pool within the larger duck yard. I put a little bowl of water next to the pen that the adults like to drink from and bathe in to try to get them close but safe. I'm hoping that doing this continually for the next week during the day will let me then leave them to free range together for a week at 7 weeks old, and then finally move them to the duck house for overnights by 8 weeks old. Am I doing this right?

 

[CoriM]

Yes, you are on the right track! My ducklings have always chased and scared my big girls. Fencing so they can look but not touch for several weeks, and when appropriate introduce free-ranging when I am there to supervise. Mesh them during the day at first when you can supervise, then once they're comfortable you can put them together at night. My husband was just commenting on how great our ducks get along, and this is ducks from 4 batches of ducklings, plus an add-on from a neighbor. I have a tiny pond in their run and sometimes there's 8 of them in there, just floating, wall-to-wall ducks. It just takes a little patience and effort to get them there!

 

[FNF]

Yes, you are on the right track! My ducklings have always chased and scared my big girls. Fencing so they can look but not touch for several weeks, and when appropriate introduce free-ranging when I am there to supervise. Mesh them during the day at first when you can supervise, then once they're comfortable you can put them together at night. My husband was just commenting on how great our ducks get along, and this is ducks from 4 batches of ducklings, plus an add-on from a neighbor. I have a tiny pond in their run and sometimes there's 8 of them in there, just floating, wall-to-wall ducks. It just takes a little patience and effort to get them there!

Thank you! I needed that validation! One small positive sign today - this is a poor picture because I took it from inside the house but the ducklings (little pen on the left) and ducks to the right were napping fairly close (separated by the pen but still). Hopeful…

 

[CoriM]

That's so great - they're on their way! Last summer when I was integrating, I had the babies and adults out in my portable tractor with a fence between, and when I looked out one of my runner ducklings was sleeping on the adult side as if she didn't have a care in the world. The adult ducks didn't know what to make of her and just left her alone. Goldie still manages to get to the other side everytime I have a fence up for anything!

 

[FNF]

My three new girls have been free ranging their large enclosure with the older three for a week or so (unsupervised). They're still the "mean girls" lol. They were 7 weeks old and outgrew their brooder so I moved them outside for overnights as well but my husband and I created a divider for the house which I'll probably have to use for a few weeks! I think this will help them with the adjustment. Two nights in and they seem just fine with the divider. I really hope to look outside one day and see all six in the pond together, instead of the older three being chased out of it.