Picking on each other

[duckboatprincess]

I got a pair of fawn and white runners yesterday and put them in with my rouens and pekins. The new ones follow the rest of them, but the others keep picking on the runners. What can I do to make sure they don't get hurt. They're pulling out some feathers some times. Is there anything I can do or do you just let them figure it out on their own?

 

[xfilesnumber1fan]

When I am new ducks to my flock..I never just put them in together to much fighting,feather pulling..I put the new ones in a smalle cage and let the others take a look and get use to seeing them..About a week them I let them out some picking goes on but not for long..The males always been to be the most problem..I had to get rid of 1 of my drakes because no matter what I did he kept trying to breed with an 8 week old..He was always very rough with the girls so I didn tmind letting him go to a freinds down the street ,,,

 

[Smartie_Pants]

As long as they aren't doing any REAL damage, I'd say let them work it out on their own. Mine always beat up on the new kids, but once they establish who's who and where they stand on the totem pole, they get along fine.

If they begin doing real damage or won't let them rest at all, I'd say put up a barrier in the pen so they can be beside each other and see each other, but not hurt each other.

 

[duckboatprincess]

They let them go swimming with the this morning and they let them eat and drink if no one else is trying to do so. I put the new ones in the pen yesterday and left the others outside for a while. They seemed alright but when I let the new ones out it was war. They're a little better today I guess but not much. The two new ones kind of try to keep to each other and leave the other six alone.