Re-homed girls, now distraught. Did I make a mistake

[Debby Duck]

Thank you all so muchfor your responses. Deep down I guess know I can't ask for them back. I'm just in a world of hurt and fear. A lot because of their crest and their age.
How can a duck be mated if she's not even laying eggs yet!!!? I can't seem to find any consistent information about the mating process to begin to understand this.
I did emphasize, many times over, and then again in a text on the way home, that if it's not working out to please call me. So I absolutely covered that.

I'd probably feel somewhat better if they hadn't picked on the one duck in with the youngsters so they'd be there. They have 11 ducks in all so the ratio will change. I'm just going to have to rely on them to call me if they get into trouble I guess. Because I don't have any other good alternatives. And this doesn't mean they aren't one. I'm just over protective I guess since I raised them and expected they would be kept from mating a while if they were in with the young ones. But that didn't work.

 

[Beaglegal]

Thank you all so muchfor your responses. Deep down I guess know I can't ask for them back. I'm just in a world of hurt and fear. A lot because of their crest and their age.
How can a duck be mated if she's not even laying eggs yet!!!? I can't seem to find any consistent information about the mating process to begin to understand this.
I did emphasize, many times over, and then again in a text on the way home, that if it's not working out to please call me. So I absolutely covered that.

I'd probably feel somewhat better if they hadn't picked on the one duck in with the youngsters so they'd be there. They have 11 ducks in all so the ratio will change. I'm just going to have to rely on them to call me if they get into trouble I guess. Because I don't have any other good alternatives. And this doesn't mean they aren't one. I'm just over protective I guess since I raised them and expected they would be kept from mating a while if they were in with the young ones. But that didn't work.

I let my mom have 2 of my duckies and it was hard even thought I know they are pampered and I can visit them. I can only imagine sending them off to strangers... I hope it gets less difficult for you

 

[Debby Duck]

oh just thought of this. could you offer to take their drakes? and introduce them to your only drake flock. that way the boys won’t fight over girls and your girls are safe

I wouldn't be able to do that if for some reason they don't get along. I couldn't keep them separately.

 

[Debby Duck]

I understand the second guessing your decision. It is a very emotional situation. I would be crying and feeling the same way. But after you left the ducks aren't yours. Technically you can ask for them back. But if you do get them back you'll be in the same position you were, and the girls will have another stressful adjustment.

Like others are saying it is natural for ducks to peck at each other while figuring out their dominance. It is heartbreaking for us to watch though.

While I wouldn't be worried about the squabbling, I would be worried about the mating. I think I don't understand from your post how many males are in with how many females. Am I reading correctly 3 girls and 3 boys? Since my crested pekin was permanently injured by mating I'm very cautious about this situation. Are they planning on separating by gender? Maybe you can give them some guidance on this.

Yes, now that my 2 girls are in the grown up side of is 3:3. They have other ducks in the younger side where they picked on one. As those get older it will change. They did send me a video last night of them all mixed together under watch. My girls seem calmer. I don't know about if they are getting jumped on be one of the drakes. But they said that the drake stopped. I hope so. I know that I asked the gender of the young ones but my brain is so frazzled I can't remember.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

oh just thought of this. could you offer to take their drakes? and introduce them to your only drake flock. that way the boys won’t fight over girls and your girls are safe

That's easy to misinterpret as rude. Those stakes could be special to them

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Honestly? This sounds super normal. They're ducks, not people. They don't have social niceties and they will act out until they settle into their flock. It's not like they have handshakes and how-do-you-dos. They're animals with territories. They WILL get over it and settle in over time though. This is just a short transitional period and by the end of the month things will be much better.

It took my newest pullets 2 months to fully integrate into their flock here. It just takes time.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

How can a duck be mated if she's not even laying eggs yet!!!?

Hi there Debby!

Sorry for your second guessing and concern. I too have felt this before.

Thing is that mounting is part of how MANY animals in the animal kingdom actually set dominance.. and I'd be shocked if there was no mounting at all going on in the younger pen.. Even hens mount each other and so will the males.

Mounting does not always equal mating! That's my first thought.

Secondly.. humans are tuned out to many natural things including hormones and pheromones for the most part.. we just react to whatever our brain implies, not understanding that many of these impulses are actually hormone related... the production of an egg is only ONE physical outward symptom of sexual maturity.. and the only one most humans care about or identify with. Even humans can have relation far sooner than they are ready to produce a baby.. it's part of the growing process.. to practice behaviors along the way to perfecting them. In poultry, the semen is stored inside the hen and viable for fertilizing an egg for up to about 3 weeks give or take depending on individual conditions... So in nature.. their goal is to spread their seed and further the next generation.. they aren't worried about politics or morals and don't live according to the values a human placed on a specific age.

Please note I am NOT condoning pedophilia or anything of that sort in human terms..

I am conveying that nature has more going on than we can perceive.

Also Debby.. I whole heartedly think you made what you believed was the best choice.. and it probably was with this just being your expression of heartache and worry/fear.. what ifs. But according to your description of that family.. THEY too will very much take care of them lovely ladies you blessed them with and work to do what is right by the animals..

Truth is.. change is hard, even when it is change for the better (long term).. Integration is always the most challenging and seems so scary to people who are familiar with all the body language and even the different sounds they make that communicate things.. It sounds like it didn't go ideally.. because a look but don't touch period might have been nice.. but this is where it is already.. and so for the most part.. human interference will just delay and inhibit the process... in MY experience.

Are you able to share any of your photos or videos?

Hope this is encouraging!

 

[TomCahalan]

Thank you all so muchfor your responses. Deep down I guess know I can't ask for them back. I'm just in a world of hurt and fear.

Take a deep breath and try to get your adrenaline down. Maybe it would help you to remember that you are talking about ducks, not human children.

A lot because of their crest and their age.

Yeah, it sounds like they are in a somewhat bad situation, especially with regards to the duck/drake ratio. On the other hand, there are ducks in much worse situations.

How can a duck be mated if she's not even laying eggs yet!!!? I can't seem to find any consistent information about the mating process to begin to understand this.

The drake penis goes into the duck vagina. Since those ducks are slightly underage, there aren't eggs for the sperm to fertilize. I don't expect that it will cause them any harm, since they are only slightly underage.

The only problem that I see is that the ratio could become an issue.

 

[Debby Duck]

I understand the second guessing your decision. It is a very emotional situation. I would be crying and feeling the same way. But after you left the ducks aren't yours. Technically you can ask for them back. But if you do get them back you'll be in the same position you were, and the girls will have another stressful adjustment.

Like others are saying it is natural for ducks to peck at each other while figuring out their dominance. It is heartbreaking for us to watch though.

While I wouldn't be worried about the squabbling, I would be worried about the mating. I think I don't understand from your post how many males are in with how many females. Am I reading correctly 3 girls and 3 boys? Since my crested pekin was permanently injured by mating I'm very cautious about this situation. Are they planning on separating by gender? Maybe you can give them some guidance on this.

I forgot to mention in my first reply, I remembered your situation with your girl. I kept wondering though if I could really expect to find a home where they wouldn't be mated. Although I would prefer that. I felt like I was getting closer to the time things could change rapidly. I thought they would hang out with the younger group until they all mixed. But, no they don't separate by gender. When mine escaped into the adult open, they thought oh they want to be in there. But I think she's was just panicked and running. At first it looked fine until my girls started to fight each other and a drake tried to mate one. My husband said the same as others do, they just need to adjust. So I thought I better give it a try. They said the fighting stopped. I just really hoped they were going to go back in with the young ones. But that didn't happen.

I understand the second guessing your decision. It is a very emotional situation. I would be crying and feeling the same way. But after you left the ducks aren't yours. Technically you can ask for them back. But if you do get them back you'll be in the same position you were, and the girls will have another stressful adjustment.

Like others are saying it is natural for ducks to peck at each other while figuring out their dominance. It is heartbreaking for us to watch though.

While I wouldn't be worried about the squabbling, I would be worried about the mating. I think I don't understand from your post how many males are in with how many females. Am I reading correctly 3 girls and 3 boys? Since my crested pekin was permanently injured by mating I'm very cautious about this situation. Are they planning on separating by gender? Maybe you can give them some guidance on this.

I forgot to mention that I was thinking about your duck while trying to time this right. I didn't want to wait until it was too late. Maybe that's been haunting me. I don't know. But while I thought the girls would be in with the younger ducks, it didn't work. My husband said the same thing others on the thread did, that they'll adjust. So I'm just going to have to accept it. She sent me a picture today after I inquired. They appear to be good. I'll post that later, another person asked if I had any.
I did share what I know about the male female ratio. And they are aware, as more will be coming into the adult pen. I hope sooner rather than later is all I can do now though. But they don't separate by gender.

I made sure they knew the crest makes them vulnerable and to watch that.
I'm sure they want me to feel comfortable in my decision. So I don't expect they'll send me updates or pictures of bad news. Not that they owe me either one. The ducks belong to them now and I can only hope they're as anxious as I am to move more girls in.

 

[Debby Duck]

I forgot to mention in my first reply, I remembered your situation with your girl. I kept wondering though if I could really expect to find a home where they wouldn't be mated. Although I would prefer that. I felt like I was getting closer to the time things could change rapidly. I thought they would hang out with the younger group until they all mixed. But, no they don't separate by gender. When mine escaped into the adult open, they thought oh they want to be in there. But I think she's was just panicked and running. At first it looked fine until my girls started to fight each other and a drake tried to mate one. My husband said the same as others do, they just need to adjust. So I thought I better give it a try. They said the fighting stopped. I just really hoped they were going to go back in with the young ones. But that didn't happen.

I forgot to mention that I was thinking about your duck while trying to time this right. I didn't want to wait until it was too late. Maybe that's been haunting me. I don't know. But while I thought the girls would be in with the younger ducks, it didn't work. My husband said the same thing others on the thread did, that they'll adjust. So I'm just going to have to accept it. She sent me a picture today after I inquired. They appear to be good. I'll post that later, another person asked if I had any.
I did share what I know about the male female ratio. And they are aware, as more will be coming into the adult pen. I hope sooner rather than later is all I can do now though. But they don't separate by gender.

I made sure they knew the crest makes them vulnerable and to watch that.
I'm sure they want me to feel comfortable in my decision. So I don't expect they'll send me updates or pictures of bad news. Not that they owe me either one. The ducks belong to them now and I can only hope they're as anxious as I am to move more girls in.

Well this thread is really wacky. I didn't finish my reply, I thought I lost it after looking everywhere. Had to remember and retype the whole thing and now when I hit post they both are here.