New ducklings attacking current duck

[amanda_rimo]

Hi everyone, we have 2 6 week old female ducklings (Cayuga and blue Swedish) we are trying to introduce to our 6 month old female (pekin). We started introducing them through a round pen. The babies were in the pen and our pekin(dewey) was on the outside. We let Dewey go over to them and meet them for a few days and then we let them all free range. They have been meeting each other for about a month now and they are still distant. The 2 babies (mango and peaches) stay with each other and Dewey keeps to herself. Today we kept them all together all day in a 10x10 dog kennel and they still stay separated. Mango and peaches go after Dewey trying to peck at her and chest bump her. We had them all in the kiddy pool today and they were still trying to attack her and gang up on her. Today was the first day Dewey finally went after them after they were picking on her, but we didn’t let it last and broke them up and split them up. We aren’t sure of what else to do. The babies still stay separated from Dewey at night, but they are ready to go outside. They aren’t getting along enough to be together in a coop all night long, and we are stuck. We don’t know how else to incorporate the babies in with Dewey. For the most part, Dewey minds her own business and just walks away from them when they come near her. (Side note, when we first had Dewey we had her friend Stanley that grew up with her for the first couple months but she has health issues with her legs and ended up passing away. Stanley wasn’t able to walk around with Dewey. I’m not sure if Dewey is frightened that this babies are walking around like her or what is going on) any advice at all would be helpful thank you again! sorry it’s so long

 

[Kingbobkingdom]

Hi everyone, we have 2 6 week old female ducklings (Cayuga and blue Swedish) we are trying to introduce to our 6 month old female (pekin). We started introducing them through a round pen. The babies were in the pen and our pekin(dewey) was on the outside. We let Dewey go over to them and meet them for a few days and then we let them all free range. They have been meeting each other for about a month now and they are still distant. The 2 babies (mango and peaches) stay with each other and Dewey keeps to herself. Today we kept them all together all day in a 10x10 dog kennel and they still stay separated. Mango and peaches go after Dewey trying to peck at her and chest bump her. We had them all in the kiddy pool today and they were still trying to attack her and gang up on her. Today was the first day Dewey finally went after them after they were picking on her, but we didn’t let it last and broke them up and split them up. We aren’t sure of what else to do. The babies still stay separated from Dewey at night, but they are ready to go outside. They aren’t getting along enough to be together in a coop all night long, and we are stuck. We don’t know how else to incorporate the babies in with Dewey. For the most part, Dewey minds her own business and just walks away from them when they come near her. (Side note, when we first had Dewey we had her friend Stanley that grew up with her for the first couple months but she has health issues with her legs and ended up passing away. Stanley wasn’t able to walk around with Dewey. I’m not sure if Dewey is frightened that this babies are walking around like her or what is going on) any advice at all would be helpful thank you again! sorry it’s so long

Can you place a separator in the coop? Like some fencing or wiring? That way they can be together without fighting.
I would keep them supervised and only free ranging together until they get familiar with each other and figure out who's the boss.

 

[Sosalty]

I've a line of thinking that comes from raising 3 waddles of ducklings this summer and also from introducing cats to each other. This summer I'd intro new muscovy ducklings to established older ducklings. There was hard pecking at 1st, then less fighting and occasional mingling. They'd free range during the day so they could go their separate ways which they did yet in weeks they'd intermingle more. Doesn't sound as though hen Dewey is that interested in being dominate but doesn't want the little ones to become dominate. What about try letting 'em work it out more with less separation? There may be a time of roughness they just need to go thru. Kinda of a fine line between letting 'em do their wild ducky thing and avoiding lasting injuries. If a duckling can't get away from Dewey or there's blood, then separate. If Dewey 'pins' a duckling, but duckling is only being pinned, that may be good. Let it take place and then watch if duckling is fearful or respectful afterwards, same with a short series of pecks.

We rehomed all of group 1 at a shared family recreational pond located in the midst of 3 homes. When I'd brought over the group 3 ducklings, (and a drake from group 2), the older would attack the younger even though they swam peacefully with each other for several weeks back at my pond. The patriarch said he thought about penning the tiny's (group 3) but on day 2 they were keeping their distance from each other so never did. At 8 weeks the report is they're swimming as 1 flock and all are healthy. All ducklings not only survived but are thriving.

My wife and I, and sister-n-law have adopted cats over the years and discuss 'em often. She prevents her cats from fighting with each other. Her cats have maintained a disdain for each other their entire life though they lived and shared the same house. We've let ours get rowdy and work it out, (still some separation & supervision) till dominance is established. We have a 12 yr old, a 3 1/2 yr old, and a 1 yr old. They all interact/play with each other. They can freely roam during the day but spend their nights shut in the house. There's loud playing and 1 makes a weird growl at times, but the growl doesn't persist and we've only 1 small puncture on the top of the 1 yr olds head.

I do think it's possible that a duck might kill another under some circumstances and drowning is a concern (ours had a lot of space). I'm not saying to let that happen. Just give 'em a chance to have duck squabbles and see if they get their pecking order established.

Others may have solutions and you won't need to do this. Good luck.

 

[Kingbobkingdom]

It just takes time for things to even out.
I once integrated a 6 month old duck with 3 one and a half year olds. She was bullied bad at first, but they've gotten used to each other. She's at the bottom of the order, but she's part of the flock.
I used a separator in the coop to keep them from fighting at night. During the day, she would keep her distance from them, but eventually they accepted her. It think it took at least 3 months actually.