When to introdouce ducklings to fully grown ducks?

[SparkleFlower]

I just threw the rotten egg in our pond...the duck does not know her egg is gone yet, I hope she won't freak out . I moved the coop closer to the pond, but I keep the ducklings locked in it.

thank for your help everyone

EDIT: I wacked the egg in the pond with a stick and it EXPLODED! it was seriously 100% air. it was really loud when it shattered.

 

[Buckas]

That was a short stalking. Now to get you over to my place so you can see how awesome collecting can be and can start driving your husband nuts. Turkeys. Oh Turkeys. I love them.

you crack me up! yeah not much to stalk here but I will be tailing you soon

 

[Megaputz]

Introducing ducklings... I put one week old ducklings in the same coop but with a hardware cloth separation, same with the run. The older ducks and chickens 4-5 months old would sit by the wire as if to chat. After about a week when I let them out in the morning I also opened the duckling run door. There was some hen pecking but nothing rough. Once in a while one of the duckling would chase the drake indian runner peeping "mommy." Poor drake would run in circles with the duckling.

Had to separate them at night in their own part of the coop until eight weeks because of the feed but other then that hassle it went well.

 

[SparkleFlower]

last night a semi-wild male Ancona duck walked to the coop, stuck his bill through the chicken wire and tried to bite the baby ducks....I screamed at him and he ran away. I clamped mesh wire to the coop so he couldn't hurt the ducklings.

 

[Miss Lydia]

last night a semi-wild male Ancona duck walked to the coop, stuck his bill through the chicken wire and tried to bite the baby ducks....I screamed at him and he ran away. I clamped mesh wire to the coop so he couldn't hurt the ducklings.

Where did this semi wild Ancona drake come from? Drakes have been known to kill ducklings.

 

[Megaputz]

How is the introduction going? Do it gradually and watch how the younger and older interact. Baby steps... let them see each other through the wire and eventually let them mingle in the run while you watch. If you notice aggression, separate. Treats are a nice distraction. There may be hen pecking with the elder are trying to instill order.

 

[SparkleFlower]

Where did this semi wild Ancona drake come from? Drakes have been known to kill ducklings.

I know that drakes kill ducklings. the Ancona duck lives on our pond and sleeps a lot . The coop is 20 or 30 feet away from our pond. The female Canadian goose visits the ducklings sometimes but, she seems to be a little afraid of them. The female Muscovy duck watches the baby ducks and gets close to the coop. The Ancona duck has not attacked or visited the ducklings since I yelled at him. I wrapped mesh wire around the coop so the male duck cannot hurt the baby ducks.

thanks for your help everyone

 

[Buckas]

So I just wanted to share a nice introduction story...

Recently (well about a month ago) I introduced my new little runners to the rest of the flock(4 other runners 2 drakes and 2 ducks). BACK STORY- I had lost my girl Francine to a dang skunk this summer and her sister Dottie seemed distressed over her sudden disappearance, we all were. Anyway, I was anxious about the introductions because my established flock seem so huge compared to the newbies and I know how they do with their pecking orders, that can be awful to watch!! BUT when I brought the babes out into the yard to meet the others for the first time at six weeks I saw something I've never seen before. My sad girl Dottie came right over to those new ducks and I guess became their mommy. Dottie never tried to hurt them, she kept the drakes away from them (they werent too impressed anyway) and I never looked back. The newbies joined in with the flock that day and began their new life.
Francine died due to injuries sustained trying to protect her last egg while hatching. My belief is that Dottie knew her sister was broody and would soon have ducklings. I think they all thought there was going to be ducklings, so when these little ones showed up in the yard, Dottie must have figured this was the gift her sister had been working on and since she wasn't around to take care of them it was Dotties calling.

Who knows really what they all think but this was the easiest and most loving introduction I have witnessed thus far. I truly have sweet lil' buckas!

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

That's a great story.