Papa chasing babies

[artsyrobin]

Actually the babies aren't babies, more like teens- and papa has decided to go after a couple, i am assuming they are boys and he doesn't want competition, or pecking order- so will he hurt them? Or is it just part of the flock order getting settled? they free range during the day

 

[gamebirdsonly]

He also might be going after the pullets to mate

 

[desertdarlene]

I would separate them. I do sometimes see males grab and bite half grown babies hard and they can actually hurt them. Maybe put the male back when the ducklings are three or four months old.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I would separate them. I do sometimes see males grab and bite half grown babies hard and they can actually hurt them. Maybe put the male back when the ducklings are three or four months old.

X2

 

[Going Quackers]

How old? yes, to a point it couldn't be pecking order.. i have seen my 14wk olds grabbed by the mature ducks and heck they were grabbing each other yesterday

You have to watch though, things can get way out of control.

My flock is big, 16 that roam together, and i watch carefully, for overly eager fighters... my mature drakes do fight and jab on occasion at the drakes who are the 3+mth olds but if it gets to far i will be stepping in, flock dynamics are odd, my girls were having a go the other day too so some jabbing is not odd, it's when it takes front stage and becomes harmful, the odd yank is no more than toddlers pushing but it can go to far. My older drake got slammed down by the other drake one day too hard and he started to bleed from his nares... that WAS scary! it wasn't intentional either just a bad tackle but could have ended much worse.

 

[artsyrobin]

Well these guys are still getting adult feathers, just went and checked, first week in may, so they are still young- i spent the morning setting them up their own run in the main chicken run- their own pool, they look happy- the other ducks have their pool right across from there- i'll get some pics, i am just surprised that papa got aggressive towards them
this is a recent pic of the only poofy out of the hatch, not quite sure why he has a poof, non of the others doo, pekin, swedish, halequin(she is hatchery)

 

[artsyrobin]

edit for double post