Rescue ducks- need help!

[chickenducklady]

We are a gluten for punishment! To start off- we have a pretty fabulous chicken coop we rehabbed from an old shed- so we bought 6 adorable chicks- they're doing great and we can't wait for eggs! At the beginning of the summer while at the feed store buying food for our girls we came across 3 ducks. They had previously been bought and returned so we impulsively took them home with us since our coop was big enough. They're also doing well, but we are also still waiting for eggs from them. Then, of course, we heard of 2 ducks in filthy conditions needing a new home. Because we are suckers we decided to take them. We don't know much except they were kept in a dog kennel with a dog house with a pool and none of those were ever cleaned nor did they get fresh duck feed or water daily. EVER. However, they were laying eggs. Since we brought them home we decided after 2 days to put them with the rest of our flock. They seem to be adjusting ok and seem to be taking a liking to our first 3 ducks. But neither are laying eggs anymore and it's been about 3 weeks. I'm concerned about their well being and egg production. Does anyone have info or advice on what we can do to help them? Or is this just a situation we need to be really patient and give them more time to settle in? How long does it usually take for a pair of rescues to feel comfortable?

 

[Amiga]

Good for you!

Depends on the individual duck. Some take longer to adjust than others. If they are all getting along, that is terrific! How did you approach incorporating them into your flock?

Do you know the breeds?

Larger breeds take longer to mature and start laying.

Any drakes in the batch?

One needs to watch out with drakes - if they try to mate with the chickens it can be fatal for the hen.

 

[chickenducklady]

Out of the first ducks we brought home - we know two are Indian runners (one male and one female) and one is a bit of a mystery but possibly a buff Orpington duck (we think a male)- these ones are still pretty young, probably only about 4 months. The two most recent rescues are a female Pekin and unsure of the sex but another Indian (these are the ones that were laying eggs but stopped once they were in our care and what we've been told is they're a year and a half- everything we've been told about these poor babies I only take with a grain of salt). I've read horror stories about drakes and hens and freaked out for like 2 weeks but all seem to stay away from each other thank goodness!

After keeping the two new ducks separate for 2 nights we decided we weren't comfortable with their temporary set up because of predators and their isolation so we took the risk to just put them with everyone else in the coop of dreams. All 5 ducks seem to have immediately bonded and want to be together. And they don't care much about our chickens- each group pretty much sticks to their own kind.

Any suggestions or help with the newbie ducks is greatly appreciated!