Why are my ducks running from my new duckling?

[Chikinzies]

Why are my ducks running from my new duckling?
Brand new duckling..3 days old. Actually ive had it for two weeks and Im hand raising it, then i thought id see what the other ducks did if i let it near them. A duck and a Drake (and silky). My duckling runs up to them and they run away from it in terror...? Is that unusual?
My only guess is that they think the duckling is mine or one of my minions,,, lol!

any ideas?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Why are my ducks running from my new duckling?
Brand new duckling..3 days old. Actually ive had it for two weeks and Im hand raising it, then i thought id see what the other ducks did if i let it near them. A duck and a Drake (and silky). My duckling runs up to them and they run away from it in terror...? Is that unusual?
My only guess is that they think the duckling is mine or one of my minions,,, lol!

any ideas?

It's normal I've seen it here to and have read of others having the same thing happen, just never leave a duckling that young with the adults without supervision they may turn on it. eventually. The need to get to know each other slowly,

Welcome to BYC.

 

[smonkeySK]

I've got a picture somewhere of my large white Campbell girl nearly breaking her leg to get away from 2 teeny tiny day old ducklings!
It's quite comical but doesn't usually last for long - especially if the duckling is with its parents.

As already stated watch for the fear turning to aggression as that's not comical..
Having it's mum around helps on this front again; so if you are mum for it you can't leave it alone with them.

 

[313759]

My ducks never became aggressive toward the ducklings they would bite at them to put them in line bit that was it

 

[Miss Lydia]

My ducks never became aggressive toward the ducklings they would bite at them to put them in line bit that was it

Not always the case but happy to hear it has been with your ducks.

 

[313759]

The only birds I have had become aggressive toward newcomers are chickens and Turkey's but aggression could depend upon breed I own Mallard and Pekin

 

[smonkeySK]

To be fair I had very little issue with my 2 ducklings- they were hatched and raised by their parents out in the yard with all my other birds.
The only birds to show aggression were the Campbell who freaked out on day 1 and whenever the ducklings dived underwater their dad would attack them too!
Though he stopped after the first week or so - it was more like he was trying to stop them getting too wet, but at the time it worried me and did make me consider separating him at night.
Thankfully everything was ok without needing to intervene once.

But as Miss Lydia states - you just don't know how everyone will react. In my case I didn't want to interfere with nature - the mother was a wild rescue and is top dog around the yard; I was confident she would put a stop to any nonsense, and she did me proud! Had it been another duck as mother, or if I'd incubated in the house, then I would have taken more precautions whether they were needed or not.

 

[smonkeySK]

Found it - The Campbell splits

 

[Kleonaptra]

Found it - The Campbell splits

That is hilarious! I wish I had taken photos when I put my big pekin girls in with my little wild drake (if you see Wist and Varia in my avatar she is easily 3 times his size) they looked so tiny in the breeders yard, I deliberately picked smaller ducks..Got them home and put them in and my poor drake paniked! Its why I named them for amazon queens....as you can see they worked it out.

Im probably being a bit over protective right now, my ducklings are 4 weeks old and I still have them in a seperate pen which is inside my regular duck pen. Everyone free ranges anyway but spend a lot of time in the pen and everyone chats to the ducklings through the wire. They still go in a box at night and come inside even though the bigger ones can nearly jump out. I still just feel they are too little to go out in the big wide world. Im thinking of putting Wist in with them because he is very gentle, mild mannered duck. He was once nanny to a litter of kittens and always makes new arrivals - no matter the species - feel right at home. Hes very enchanted by the duck babies, and I hope he realizes one of them actually IS his child.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Found it - The Campbell splits

That's so funny, maybe they think it's a mouse, you know how us women are about mice. lol