Pekin thinks she's a Chicken!! Help!

[FenDruadin]

I think you're fine just as you are, if everyone seems happy. A duck raised with chickens can be perfectly happy living its life with chickens. She may never use your main pond, but if you're okay with her sticking around with the chickens, then there's really not a problem.

My ducks take a long time to start using the big pond at the bottom of their property. They get really comfortable with their circumstances, and are reluctant to change things even for the use of a several-acre-large pond. They *do* use it eventually, but not till they've lived her a long time.

 

[Kedreeva]

I guess I don't see why it's a problem that she thinks she is a chicken. She doesn't really NEED to swim, it won't kill her. I have a duckling that doesn't like the water very much, or rather, doesn't know what to do with it- he sits down or gets out immediately. If what she wants is to be near the chickens, then to me, that says she's happy with the chickens and I don't see a reason to change that. Like you said, she's got access to the goodies and it sounds to me like she's choosing not to take them. Best you can do is offer. It's just like the saying- you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.

 

[sourland]

The duck is probably quite happy. It doesn't bother her that she thinks she is a chicken. You are the one who is bothered with the situation. If she were a drake, I would be concerned since drakes can injure chickens through mating and possibly cause cloacal prolapse. Why add another duck and possible problems? Seems like everything is going smoothly as is.

 

[hennyjenn]

We have a pair of ducks that were raised along side this year's chicks (not with, just beside - tanks beside eachother, fenced outdoor play areas beside eachother). Once everyone was big enough, I kept the ducks separate from the chickens with their own house and fenced area. Before we left for vacation this year, I simplified the set up for our house sitter, putting the ducks and chickens in the same fenced area but accessible to both houses. She called me one night to ask if it was okay if the ducks slept in the coop, because they had gone in their voluntarily. Ever since then (over a month), they are inseparable from the chickens. We try to leave them out of the fenced area so they can go down to the creek again, but they won't. We carry them down, they play for a few minutes and then head back up to the chickens and squawk to be let back in. They seem to be perfectly content without their swims, and we still force them down about every other day, but I figure I can't force them to act like ducks.

Now, about keeping a drake with chickens...is this really a problem? I'd love to know more.

 

[rebecky1305]

Not all ducks love the water, and those that do sometimes figure this out later in life. I have a 4 month old Khaki Campbell duck that just now started wading in the water- still won't swim though. As long as she appears happy, and the chickens don't mind, leave her be. I have a chicken that would rather hang out with the ducks then with the other chickens.

 

[chicks4kids]

Sounds to me like you may just have the cleanest duck EVER!!

 

[sab]

Thanks folks for all your good responses. I feel a little better (being a 'new egg' at all this) about the duck now. The duck still hangs tight with the chickens and I've been letting them out of the chicken tractor more these days to just roam free. The duck looks at the pond every so often and really gives it a study --- but still hangs with the chicks. I have a lot of lilly pads and pond plant life and she would really have a good life on it but I can't force her out there. Here are some photos of my 'flock' -- I call them "3 hits and a miss" ( 3 chicks & 1 duck).

 

[peeps7]

I also have this problem, I have two ducks who refuse to swim, only since I put them in with the chickens.....sigh

lol oh well, I guess once I start free-ranging they'll get into the water themselves.