New ducks? Duck drama begins...

[Bridger Davis]

Also, have you considered just keeping Carmen and just getting a few more girls? You could still have a total of 6 ducks, 1 drake and 5 girls is a great ratio.

I don't have time to read your first response while I have wifi, but I want Tina to have ducks, so giving him away is a good plan for me

 

[Bridger Davis]

Every introduction is different. Some go smoothly and birds can be together faster (after quarantine of course). Some introductions take longer. I think my best introduction was in one afternoon and I was comfortable leaving everyone together unattended without a divider. I think my worst one was 6-8 weeks of see no touch, then limited interaction with certain combinations, then eventually everyone together all the time. I like to set up a see no touch divider or something. Then watch them. Once it gets to a point where they ignore the ducks on the other side of the barrier consistently, it is generally safe to remove the barrier. Trust me, you will know if it's going poorly. I've had birds trying to attack each other through the fencing, pacing, making noise, charging, banging on the bars/fence (these are all signs that they shouldn't be together yet!). Peacefully acting the same as normal is the goal, being quiet, eating, drinking, preening, etc. Once this is the norm, they can all mingle. Once you merge them, continue to give at least two feeders and two waterers, it will give everyone options and no one can be bullied out of eating/drinking.

If Tina only gets one female to be with the drake it may or may not work out. She may get over-mated and kinda beat up, but he will likely be lonely if he is the only duck, so I think it's worth trying.

Ok lol sorry I just now read this. Thanks for the tips, and now I know what to look for. And yeah, I think at least in the beginning, Tina wants to start with only two ducks. Tina's husband, phil, raised hundreds of fowl and game in his parent's private collection of birds. He'll know how to give them the best care, and what to look out for thanks so much for your help!

 

[chickens really]

Well..Without a Drake in the flock I just put in the new Hens and it works out great. Ducks are definitely nothing like chickens. A bit of cranky behaviour and it's over..

 

[Isaac 0]

Ducks integrate very easily if there not penned up 24/7.Mine free range all day and out of the 15+ birds i have integrated not one of them have i had to separate from the others.They would rather be digging mud holes than chasing a newcomer around.

 

[Bridger Davis]

Hey everyone! Just wanted to ask.. so m boy, Carmen, just tried to mate the smallest duck this morning, so I penned him up and he's in a timeout because I don't want the girls getting hurt, especially when I'm not even home. Do drakes mate year round? Will he have to be frequently separated from his new friend that we get tomorrow? Thanks! @A_Fowl_Guy @Miss Lydia @casportpony @Amiga

 

[PirateGirl]

Drakes will mate year round. They are most active in spring. This does not necessarily mean you have to keep them separate. It just depends how aggressive he is about it. I'm not sure how big a size difference there is between your drake and your smallest hen. My drake has not injured my smallest, but she definitely has terrible feather condition as a result of his spring activity. Ducks mating is normal, and it's not gentle or romantic, but it does not mean they can't live together and you can't still collect and eat the eggs daily. Also if they have a small tub or pool to mate in it makes it a bit better for them.

 

[PirateGirl]

Oh, and sorry, but I forgot how old your smallest duck is. If it's a duckling less than 4 months old, I would keep them separate until she's a bit older.

 

[Bridger Davis]

Oh, and sorry, but I forgot how old your smallest duck is. If it's a duckling less than 4 months old, I would keep them separate until she's a bit older.

Ok thanks for the tips. Yeah so Carmen is the same age as the rest of the ducks, 3 months and 1 week. However, the new ducks In getting tomorrow were born on May 5th. So they are roughly 2 months old.

 

[PirateGirl]

Honestly if Carmen isn't hurting the ducks, there's no reason you can't let him mate them. I would not mix the new ducks with the existing ducks until they are a bit older and closer to full grown. You may be able to mix the new ducks with the existing ducks minus Carmen sooner. Good luck!

 

[Bridger Davis]

Honestly if Carmen isn't hurting the ducks, there's no reason you can't let him mate them. I would not mix the new ducks with the existing ducks until they are a bit older and closer to full grown. You may be able to mix the new ducks with the existing ducks minus Carmen sooner. Good luck!

Ok thanks so much. I'll observe them and see what it's like, and perhaps if all the females get along, I will just quarantine Carmen. We'll see.