Your Best Advice

[Joe Jordan]

Today I picked up from the post office my new baby ducks along with some baby chick traveling companions. I ordered two females and one male. So, I got them home and in the brooder and discovered I have a crested. If this is a female, will the male shun her / or if this is the male, will the females reject him? They have been in the brooder now for about four hours and appear to all be doing very well socializing, and such, with each other and the fifteen other chicks. Is there anything I should know? What is the best piece of advice you wish you would have gotten earlier?

Thanks!!!

 

[Amiga]

I have never heard of crests causing relationship problems with ducks.

Ducks grow so much faster than chicks, you may need to segregate them soon.

Ducklings have a special relationship with water. Some call it messy.

That is another reason to set up a separate section of the brooder. Water management is key. They need to be able to wash their entire heads to prevent infections, and something needs to catch the splash to keep it off the bedding.

 

[galgo98]

The only time I saw a problem with the crest and socialization is when adding them to older ducks. I hatched 2 crested and 2 "smooths" this spring. They were fine with each other in the brooder. But, when I tried to integrate them with the rest of my flock, the older drakes went after the 2 crested ducks, constantly grabbing them by the crest. They didn't terrorize the "smooths" as much. I eventually re-homed all 4 of them to a farm with no other ducks. They now happily live amongst alpacas, helping to control the flies! What more could a duck want?

 

[animalz11]

Umm... I was just wondering how the breeder can diffrenciate between a male and female duck? I have researched it and it keeps popping up that you have to wait until maturity.

As for the rejectiong problem, I don't think you have to worry about that, like with dogs, the drake will "get his buisness on" with anything that has a pulse (from what I've heard).

 

[Going Quackers]

Umm... I was just wondering how the breeder can diffrenciate between a male and female duck? I have researched it and it keeps popping up that you have to wait until maturity.

I would bet they vent sexed.

 

[animalz11]

Oh, yes, forgot about that one.