A few weeks ago I bought a six week old duckling, brought her home and put her with my Bantam birds. They are a fairly relaxed set of chickens and I figured theyd help Charlie (The new duckling) find her way around the new world. Well that was a fail to say the least. I went in the next morning and they had pecked her poor little beak and she was all sad looking. So off she went into her own bin with her own light.
I've read that Khaki Campbells are skittish. I know ducks need friends. As soon as the coop is finished outside I'm planning on putting them all back together again. I think the dog cage my bantams are being held in has just run out of space for any new flock members, but their outdoor pen will be a good size run. As baby like as the the duck is I'm hoping these guys will get along.
I know Charlie needs buddies, but she has some serious issues. She whines all day. If you go to pay attention to her she freaks out and sprays poo all over the place. She's bananas. We took her outside but there is no way except through catching her with a net will she get out of that pond and she certainly doesn't care to come to you for treats. Where she lived before was outdoors in a huge pen with other animals including ducks, but also chickens and goats and a goose.
Is two weeks just not long enough? I don't want to super bond with her because she's headed outdoors and I've read too many posts of people babying their ducks and the ducks just want to hang themselves when the owner is gone. I also don't want to baby it because, well, it's a duck. Is there anything I can do to teach this duck to chill out? We've held her, "played" with her, tried to hand feed her, pet her, cooed at her, put her out to free range with the other chickens. Nada, nothing makes her life happy. Seriously, the most miserable duck in the world.
I've read that Khaki Campbells are skittish. I know ducks need friends. As soon as the coop is finished outside I'm planning on putting them all back together again. I think the dog cage my bantams are being held in has just run out of space for any new flock members, but their outdoor pen will be a good size run. As baby like as the the duck is I'm hoping these guys will get along.
I know Charlie needs buddies, but she has some serious issues. She whines all day. If you go to pay attention to her she freaks out and sprays poo all over the place. She's bananas. We took her outside but there is no way except through catching her with a net will she get out of that pond and she certainly doesn't care to come to you for treats. Where she lived before was outdoors in a huge pen with other animals including ducks, but also chickens and goats and a goose.
Is two weeks just not long enough? I don't want to super bond with her because she's headed outdoors and I've read too many posts of people babying their ducks and the ducks just want to hang themselves when the owner is gone. I also don't want to baby it because, well, it's a duck. Is there anything I can do to teach this duck to chill out? We've held her, "played" with her, tried to hand feed her, pet her, cooed at her, put her out to free range with the other chickens. Nada, nothing makes her life happy. Seriously, the most miserable duck in the world.