Well I need some advice on how to handle this...

[Goat_Walker]

I have three pens set up.


#1 :
8 ducklings ( almost a month)
1 Buff female
1 domestic bibbed mallard drake


#2:
1 Mallard drake
1 Mallard x buff drake


#3:
1 Cayuga female
1 magpie female
1 black swed female

Now. All the ducks in #3 have just stared laying, so I want to place my drakes in with them.

In pen #1, I am only keeping one or two of the ducklings.


So i want to let all the duck together, not including ducklings. ( 7 adults)

a) How do I seperate the ducklings so that they dont get too stressed out?

I can open the gate to two pens and make them one huge pen and then have one smaller pen left over.

Im really confused about this.

 

[streemers]

when i had my ducklings out in the backyard playing in the pond our drake would do anything possable to get to them and try to drown them! we had to lock him up if they where around.

 

[NancyDz]

PUt the ducklings in the smaller pen and all the others in the two combined pens?

 

[Goat_Walker]

Quote:
Thats what I was thinking. But If I am only keeping two out of the eight Im worried that without an adult they will become prey for predators. Plus mama is very protective.

Im mostly concerned that once the majority of the ducklings go to their new home ( same place) that my two remaining ducklings will get stressed

 

[Goat_Walker]

Quote:
Thats how the two younger drakes are - thats why they are in their own seperate pen till my three girls started laying. But my eldest drake was originally wild and is about 8 y/o, he is a great protector.

 

[NancyDz]

why don't you just keep Mama in with them for awhile then? Also if the pens are next to each other, they shouldnt be lonely and will get used to each other.


I only have two ducklings.. I got them from someone who had 8, they've done fine on their own.


Nancy

 

[xfilesnumber1fan]

I have had my 6 ducklings in a smaller cage inside the big cage for weeks now they are 8 weeks right now..I let them out today in the big cage, the adult girls try to push them around but dont hurt them...But my boy...Drake thats his name,he is crazy I had to take him out and lock him up...He keeps trying to beed them...They have been around each other for 4 weeks now...He still cant be trusted alone with them