question about baby runner ducks

[crj]

Hello,

I'm incubating runner duck eggs. Tomorrow will be day 1. I would like to know if I can put baby ducks with adult ducks. I'm thinking around 8 weeks old. I only have 5 runner ducks and they won't be a year old until April or May. So, I'm thinking around March since Feb they may be too young. I don't know if ducks will go after babies like chickens will. I was wondering if the older ducks would care for the younger ones. This is all new to me. Can you tell?.... lol.

 

[duckyfromoz]

It really depends on the ducks themselves. I have had three boys for months now- all grown up and they were fine with the new ones going outside at four weeks old ( I would put a few new ones out every week - so they have grown up around ones younger their whole lives. ) I actually sold two of them during the week- but still have Flippy ( 1 year old ) Stevie- Ray and Noggin ( both around 25- 26 weeks old ) in the back pen where the babies are. There has never really been any trouble with any of them.

I put 4 little ones ( 4 weeks old ) outside this morning - Flippy and Noggin came running over and looked at them and Noggin started herding them towards the other babies. Flippy gave one a quick nip as they ran past her- but since then all has been good. I wouldnt think of putting them in one of the breeders pens though. The boys in there would be chasing them in seconds.

When your little new ones are old enough to be outside- take them outside in their own cage or enclosure and sit with them to watch what the others do- If they come right up to the fence- if they just go about their day not even taking any notice. Watching how they react will give you a better idea of how things might go with them all living together later on. Also having the babies in a protected area will allow the adults to get used to seeing them around- and help the adjustment when the young ones are ready to be integrated