When Do I Introduce My Ducklings To My Flock

[Haydog03]

My two new Pekin ducklings (Bluebell and Cora) are 11 days old! We have three older ducks, Destiny, Hercules, and Pato! Destiny and Hercules are boys, while Pato is a single female! We knew this wouldn't work so we searched for female ducks, but couldn't find any! We got two ducklings, and we don't know if they're female or male (we hope female, hence their feminine names)! My question is, when should we introduce them into the flock? We put the babies out into the yard just to observe how they'd interact. Pato, our female, walked over and just started quivering her head. She kept walking off and turning back to keep an eye on them, nothing aggressive; more curious. The males didn't seem interested, at all, in fact, they were afraid... One of the duckling's have a hurt leg, but I'm working on fixing it with vitamins! We put the babies out for a minute everyday for three days, but we quit after the baby hurt it's leg (we didn't want to cause stress). Recap; Unknown gender ducklings. Two adult males and one adult female. Hurt duckling leg. Any advice appreciated! If the duckling's turn out to be male, is it okay to have 4 males by themselves? Would it be better 3 males and then put Pato with Hercules? When should we introduce the babies to the adults? By the way, the older ducks are only three months!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I’d set up a look don’t touch pen for your little ones so the older ducklings can be around them but not pick on them They Are still pretty young and size is an issue too especially with the lil one that’s injured now so make a way for them all to be together but not where the older can accidentally hurt run over or bully the little ones.

 

[chickens really]

Thank you! Do you have any idea why she was quivering her head? She rubbed her beak against them?

She was being aggressive and dominant..

 

[Haydog03]

Thank you! Do you have any idea why she was quivering her head? She rubbed her beak against them?

 

[chickens really]

Thank you! I thought she was nuzzling them...

No..She vibrated because she was dominant and nervous too..Lots of Birds don't like Young when they still peep..

 

[chickens really]

You can free range as you watch over them but not pen them together yet..

 

[Miss Lydia]

Are you going to let your inured one out with the older ducklings? I'd think that wouldn't be such a good idea till your seeing more improvement on that leg. Just because if the little one gets knocked over and stepped on that can make it's leg worse.

 

[Haydog03]

We won't, until later! I've read to slowly introduce them... if we free range them for a minute or so, then the hurt duckling will be open to any bullying. I don't know really what to do. We set them out yesterday (in their coop, totally untouchable) but the sides are filled so they can't see out and nothing can see in. Which means (aside from the older ducks hearing chirping), no interact was made. I just worry about introducing Hercules to the babies, because he's starting to get aggressive {only to our other male} This is a whole lot more complicated than I wanted! I won't give up, though!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Do you have any large dog crates? You could put the duckling in one that way the older ducks and the little ones could all meet but the babies would be safe from picking?

 

[Haydog03]

Here they are! Pato, Hercules, and Destiny! I'd love to see yours as well!