Sickly duck at local produce store...

[SampyArctica]

Oh trust me - I can't wait until he moves outdoors fulltime. As Miss Lydia has said though, it's just something we can't do right now though. We bought and are moving to a small acreage but there was a 60 day settlement period for the old owners to find a place to move to as well, as they were still living in it. We're at the council poultry limit because we have chickens as well, but we can't mix Whistles with the chickens because rather than him attacking them like we were all first worried about - two of them started bullying him, even though he'd been introduced to them slowly with a barrier so they could see each other but not physically interact. My girls have never seen a duck before, but there is something there that just tells them that they're different and they don't get on. We do try to socialise them under supervision only, but there are so many stand-offs (especially when the girls try to drink from his pool when he's in it) that I think it's more stressful than social. We have another 31 days and 18 hours until we move, and we'll be getting him three or four females and he gets to live outside permanently. There's even a dam on the property for them and I seriously can't wait until that happens, I also hate living where we are now - but we've signed a contract and there's nothing we can do until the settlement period has passed. I hope you understand that while he is unfortunately a "house duck" overnight (he's only inside at night, he spends the day outside in a separated area from the chickens with a large mirror, where we also go out and spend a lot of time with him and it's also right outside our door so he can still see and hear us when we're inside), this is FAR from what we consider ideal and the plan is to definitely get him out and in an environment where he can just be a duck. We're at least grateful that he has otherwise been able to make a full recovery, as I'm not sure he would have been able to if we didn't fight to get him out of that store.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

You have him in a FAR better environment at the moment than he eve would have been at the store. He probably wouldn't even be alive right now if it wasn't for you

.

 

[nayeli]

@SampyArctica that sounds wonderful! 31 days isn't really very long either! Are you going to get ducklings or full grown ducks? If you get ducklings they can't be unsupervised with him for 6 months, and if you get ducks they usually aren't as friendly.

 

[SampyArctica]

Thanks, Luke.

Nayeli, we were wanting to get him some females that were around the same age as him, so about eight months old (by the time we move). Because we wouldn't be able to have him with the ducklings for a while, like you've mentioned, and we really want him to be socialising as soon as possible. If ducks are like chickens in that you have to introduce them slowly to avoid attacks and bullying, then it's alright if it means we still have another month to wait after we move before beginning to put them together face-to-face with no barrier, we'd rather do that than have to wait another six months for him to really have any friends because that would mean he'd have been an 'only duck' for about a year. Y'know?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks, Luke.

Nayeli, we were wanting to get him some females that were around the same age as him, so about eight months old (by the time we move). Because we wouldn't be able to have him with the ducklings for a while, like you've mentioned, and we really want him to be socialising as soon as possible. If ducks are like chickens in that you have to introduce them slowly to avoid attacks and bullying, then it's alright if it means we still have another month to wait after we move before beginning to put them together face-to-face with no barrier, we'd rather do that than have to wait another six months for him to really have any friends because that would mean he'd have been an 'only duck' for about a year. Y'know?

I brought home 3 Muscovy ducks for my only duckling when they were around 3 months old he was 4 months, they had never been socialized at all. It took a while but they will eat out of our hand now and have for quite a while, they will follow what Whistles does and since he is so use to you they will eventually come around too. Mine still don't like for me to pick them up and snuggle them like Opie does but They still will come around and eat out of our hand.

 

[satay]

Have you read her whole thread about Whistles, if you had you'd understand why he is an only duck right now, and yes they can get aberrant behavior when kept as only ducks and in the house but sometimes that's the way it is till things can be changed. Sampy is working on all of it. And we are all proud of what she has done for Whistles.  

Well said and I agree 100% with you.

 

[SampyArctica]

Miss Lydia, how long did it take for your ducks to be relatively comfortable around your drake?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Miss Lydia, how long did it take for your ducks to be relatively comfortable around your drake?

In about a week after we brought them home the 4 of them were bonded like they had hatched together and are still a close nit group although I lost one of the girls to an egg breaking inside of her a couple months ago, It doesn't take them long to form a flock.

 

[subhanalah]

Ducks and their pecking order are much more flexible and gentle compared to that of chickens.
especially when talking a drake and some girls.

 

[SampyArctica]

A week?! Oh wow, they really are much more flexible than chickens! Was it so quick because they were a bit younger, or would that also happen with all other aged ducks? Sorry to hear about the loss though.

I'm really looking forward to getting Whistles his girls, his own little flock to look after. I can't wait until he can get out there and just be a duck. I can't wait to get more Muscovies! ^_^