New to Forum, have a few questions...

[kcollins]

Hi Everyone!

I am here in Michigan and have a few questions for you all, if I may.

I bought a Pekin the end of March. He/She is about 5-6 weeks old now. It is an only duck, which I know isn't great, so I am going out to pick up another duckling or 2 tomorrow. "Peeps" is a great duck. Very friendly, loving, imprinted well. My questions are as follows:

~I want to get a Cayuga or 2, will this be a problem with my Pekin? The new duckling(s) are going to be a week or less old, so I know they have to be apart for safety reasons, and warmth. How and when should I introduce them? Will the breeds be ok together?

~Also, I want to make sure that the new duckling(s) imprint on us just as well as our Pekin. Will our Pekin stay imprinted with the new buddy? Also, if we were to get more than one Cayuga, how is best to get them as friendly? Will they still imprint on humans in pairs?

Thanks for reading. Sorry for all the basic questions. Still learning here, and enjoying ducks more than I ever imagined.

 

[nissa_loves_cats]

Maybe you could divide your brooder with hardware cloth so that the new ducklings could see the big guy and get used to one another before they are put together. That way they can see each other from the start but the little guys won't get picked on.

I have had birds of different sizes and ages together in a brooder. When I had ducklings and goslings together, the goslings thought they were the parents of the ducklings because of the size difference and so they became a family. The same thing happened with turkey poults and chicks last year.

If you handle each of the ducklings individually I'd guess they will get friendly. I've always had larger groups and so they've never been particularly friendly.

 

[SillyChicken]

from a fellow Michigander!

Come join us at the Michigan thread under the "Where am I, Where are you". We are having a chicken stock in June in Lansing area to so come check it out.

Sorry I cannot help with duck advise... although Nissa's suggestion made sence.

 

[Amiga]

When I raised one duck, she was very friendly. When I raised three together (a Pekin and two mallards), they were not as friendly - they had each other, and I had less time to spend with them as well.

I now have eleven runners and about four or five of them are very sweet, and will come up to me for special attention (they like pulling the hair on top of my head and nibbling my ears). The rest will come within a few feet, but get nervous any closer than that. While they tug at my hair and ears they don't mind being petted. And if someone gets stuck somewhere, they are very mellow when I pick them up and "rescue" them.

I like the idea of having them separated by hardware cloth or fence, but in the same area. I think your older duck will really appreciate duck company, but has already imprinted on you so will remain your friend.

 

[kcollins]

Thank-you so much everyone! I have basic duck/duckling knowledge and am doing LOTS of extra research and planning to be the best "duck mom" possible to my expanding feather family.

I just wanted to make sure that I don't make any cardinal mistakes right off the bat with mixing ducks. Our duck is a huge part of our family already, so friendly, and we want to make sure if we get one of two more, when can have at least close to the same with tameness/friendliness.
I go pick the baby Cayugas up this afternoon. I am SO excited! I will post some pics when I get back if anyone is interested.

Thanks again!

 

[loubapache]

I am also from Michigan (but the other side) and happen to have two ducks, a Pekin and a cayuga. They get a long very well and the cayuga follows the Pekin duck all the time. They were Easter rescue ducks so are about the same, age wise.