Someone please explain!!!

Lilyt

In the Brooder
7 Years
Oct 23, 2012
23
0
24
Here's the story: We have had 5 young ducks (about 12 weeks) old in a pen by our pond for 2 weeks now. There are 7 adult ducks on the pond that are not in a pen. This morning, when I went down to feed the young ducks, all 5 were gone. One was dead at the scene, but the others were just gone. I figured the Pekin was a goner because I saw a lot of her feathters.

Later this afternoon, we went back down to the pond and lo! and behold! one of the young ducks (the black runner duck) was back in its pen (still not sure how that happened!)

Me, thinking it might be safer on the water, put it on the pond and in 5 minutes, the other ducks had killed it on the water. We thought at first the males (3 of them) were trying to establish dominance, and then it crosseed my mind maybe they were mating (or trying). In any event, they have never KILLLED another duck and we introduce new ducks to the pond all the time . . .

Can anyone explain this to me? I have three baby ducks I hatched from eggs I found around the pond and in about 3 months they'll be ready for the water. Now I'm nervous about when it comes times to turn them out on the pond!!

Thanks!
 
Every flock is different, in terms of how they accept or reject new Additions to the flock. I have always kept drakes separate as long as possible, they are unpredictable. Even your ducks need an adjustment period. I don't want to sound harsh, but I don't understand how you put a duck in the water for the 1st time with other adult ducks and the adults killed it in 5mins? Seems to me like that one wasn't ready to be integrated into the flock.
 
I don't consider that harsh especially when I know you are dealing with limited information. We had the young ducks in a pen next to the pond. The other ducks could actually, and often did, swim over and associate with the younger ducks. Never saw a problem. We thought coyotes or dogs had managed to push the chicken wire down enough to get to the ducks and until the one showed back up IN THE PEN (which was weird) I thought they were all gone. I honestly thought the safest place for it would be with the other ducks. It had been in that pen, down on the edge of the pond to both acclimiate the young ones to the pond, and I would have thought 2 weeks, with only chicken wire separating all the ducks, would've been long enough for everyone to adjust. I was obviously wrong. The runner duck was around 10 to 12 weeks old and I'm not sure if it was male or female. All I know is that never in all the years we've had ducks on the pond, have I ever had males drown one. I know no one can really answer what the hell happened, but it was very unnerving and now I'm not sure I ever want to put any new ones out there. i do appreciate your input. Every little bit helps.
 
P.S.: They don't act like that when wild ducks land on the pond. They keep their distance.
 
That was the first thing that entered my mind. I have never seen males on top of each other on top of a female! And this one was not full grown at 10-12 weeks old, I'm sure. Thank you all for your comments. It's funny how I humanized my ducks . .. and I was very disappointed with their behavior. But in the end, even though they are domesticated ducks, they are still ducks. And nature is brutal.
 
That's a part of nature I can live with.
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I am so sorry. :( How awful to have them all disappear and one return and then be bullied by the elders, that just plain stinks! We have a male that beats up our pig! I feel bad for our pig, but one of these days she is going to get him good. He also has gotten another male to gang up on her, but that male is scared so he backs down faster.
Our males were mean to a female we introduced, so I took them one by one and locked them in a cage with her where they could not hear or see the other ducks, and after that they stopped bullying her. Although, they all three would mate with her early spring. Since then only two have maintained mating. Best wishes with your newcomers!
 

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