I have a small flock of 4 anconas and a pekin. The pekin was rescued and I bought the anconas as ducklings so that she would not be lonely. She immediately took to the anconas and they all got along well. Once the anconas were a couple months old I finally found someone who was hatching welsh harlequin ducks (a breed I have been very interested in raisng). I got a pair, a hen that I named Lana and drake named Archer. I kept them sepearated since they were just hatchlings.
As they got bigger I tried slowly integrating them in with the rest of my ducks. I started out by allowing them to be in a seperate part of the pen where everyone could see eachother for a couple weeks. Whenever I tried putting them all together, the other ducks would gang up on two harlequins pecking at them brutally. I decided that they just wern't old enough and kept doing what I had before.
I eventually found a blue swedish hen and drake pair that were around the same age as my pekin and anconas. I brought them home and introduced them to the flock and they were immediately accepted by my ducks. At this same time the two harlequins were the same size as all of my other ducks and I have tried introducing them again. My pekin and blue swedish hen are ok with them, but the anconas still don't like them very much. As long as they stay around 3 ft away they're fine. Archer and Lana have accepted that and are just happy to be together. It's the drake that I am worried about. He won't leave either of the two herlequins alone. He tore out all of the feathers on Lana's neck and keeps mounting Archer who stays as far away from him as possible. Archer and Lana just want to be together, Whenever they get sperated the other one cries and is not happy until they're side by side. All of the other ducks seem ok with this except for that drake. I have him seperated him from the rest of my ducks right now and things seem to be ok.
Why does it seem everyone is against Archer and Lana and why can't that drake just leave them alone. He has 6 other hens. Any insight / suggestions would be much appreciated.
As they got bigger I tried slowly integrating them in with the rest of my ducks. I started out by allowing them to be in a seperate part of the pen where everyone could see eachother for a couple weeks. Whenever I tried putting them all together, the other ducks would gang up on two harlequins pecking at them brutally. I decided that they just wern't old enough and kept doing what I had before.
I eventually found a blue swedish hen and drake pair that were around the same age as my pekin and anconas. I brought them home and introduced them to the flock and they were immediately accepted by my ducks. At this same time the two harlequins were the same size as all of my other ducks and I have tried introducing them again. My pekin and blue swedish hen are ok with them, but the anconas still don't like them very much. As long as they stay around 3 ft away they're fine. Archer and Lana have accepted that and are just happy to be together. It's the drake that I am worried about. He won't leave either of the two herlequins alone. He tore out all of the feathers on Lana's neck and keeps mounting Archer who stays as far away from him as possible. Archer and Lana just want to be together, Whenever they get sperated the other one cries and is not happy until they're side by side. All of the other ducks seem ok with this except for that drake. I have him seperated him from the rest of my ducks right now and things seem to be ok.
Why does it seem everyone is against Archer and Lana and why can't that drake just leave them alone. He has 6 other hens. Any insight / suggestions would be much appreciated.
