DucksandGoats
Chirping
- Feb 22, 2023
- 16
- 32
- 51
Hi friends!
I haven’t been on here in a while. I thought I read a post about keeping an all drake flock, but can’t seem to find it. Anyway, if you don’t feel like reading a lot, skip to the third paragraph for the question.
Some back story on my original flock: In November of 2022, I adopted my friend’s 3 male ducks. 2 Swedish Blue clutch brothers, and one jumbo Pekin. They lived previously together, mostly peacefully. The two brothers do not attempt to “mate” the Jumbo Pekin, but they do “mate” each other. I have found separating them to cause more stress, since they are an odd number, and one will always be solo. If separated, the brothers spend the entire time pacing the fence that separates them until they are reunited. So, I only give them a 30 min “time out” if I see a super aggressive “mating” happening. It seems to do the trick. The Jumbo Pekin just keeps the peace, and mostly stays out of it but has a lot to say and I swear he’s trying to break it up! I know that drakes’ hormones are supposed to calm down by their 3rd spring, so I’m less concerned knowing it’s only getting better. (& witnessing that it actually has).
Two weeks ago I took in a regular sized Pekin who was in rough shape and about to be killed. He could barely lift his head and had zero energy. They assumed his neck was broken and wanted to cull. After taking him in, letting him feel safe, watching him and then examining. I realized his neck was not broken and all and that the reason he could not lift it was due to massive inflammation surrounding open wounds. I flushed his wounds daily, and gave oral antibiotics twice a day (with vet recommendation), I adjusted his water and food bowl so that he didn’t have to strain his neck, and today he is 98% healed up. He walks stiff and sits frequently, so I assume he needs a niacin boost (as they feed 50% corn where he came from).
I would love to integrate him in with my 3 boys! How is this best done? Right now, my 3 and the 1 new guy have their own grassy areas that are separated by chicken wire. The could go about their business, but they spend the day huddled next to each other, separated by the thin fence. One of the Swedes & the JPekin are pretty calm about his presence. They’re interested and sit with him, but mostly accept that he’s just right there. My one Swede, Poke, 30% of the day is poking at the chicken wire and at the new guy. New guy never reacts. Just kind of eats it up and stays completely calm. He seems to enjoy it because he can back off the fence line an extra foot or so, but chooses to just settle in right next to the fence where Poke is… poking. (He was appropriately named by the 3 year old who raised him.)
My guess is that I should keep them separated and let them get super familiar through the fence until the fall rolls around and hormones die down. I don’t know how old the new guy is, but he doesn’t seem young to me. Hoping he’s around the same age as mine, if not a year or two older. I worry about him eventually hurting my Jumbo Pekin (his name is Pines and I love him, fiercely). Right now Pines has it made because the two Swede brothers don’t mess with him at all. He has first dibs on the pond, and they never attempt to mount him. He is like their passive leader but so soft, so Poke steps up and plays the role of the muscle, if that makes sense. Peek (the other Swede) is just third string, but has the highest level of hormones coursing through him. It’s usually him starting “playful trouble” with his brother.
Ok. That’s it, those are my thoughts… I’d love to hear all of yours! I thought it would be sweet to give this sweet new comer a chance at a safer and potentially calmer life, especially being tucked away safely at night. He seems to really appreciate that part. He comes to the back door once it gets dark. I open the door and he walks right in. I don’t have a separate coop for him yet. They never coop any of the ducks where he came from & the vet thinks his injuries were possibly from a raccoon attack. I think he likes it here, and drakes have my heart as they are far harder to rehome. Willing to give integration a chance, with some guidance or recommendations.
I haven’t been on here in a while. I thought I read a post about keeping an all drake flock, but can’t seem to find it. Anyway, if you don’t feel like reading a lot, skip to the third paragraph for the question.
Some back story on my original flock: In November of 2022, I adopted my friend’s 3 male ducks. 2 Swedish Blue clutch brothers, and one jumbo Pekin. They lived previously together, mostly peacefully. The two brothers do not attempt to “mate” the Jumbo Pekin, but they do “mate” each other. I have found separating them to cause more stress, since they are an odd number, and one will always be solo. If separated, the brothers spend the entire time pacing the fence that separates them until they are reunited. So, I only give them a 30 min “time out” if I see a super aggressive “mating” happening. It seems to do the trick. The Jumbo Pekin just keeps the peace, and mostly stays out of it but has a lot to say and I swear he’s trying to break it up! I know that drakes’ hormones are supposed to calm down by their 3rd spring, so I’m less concerned knowing it’s only getting better. (& witnessing that it actually has).
Two weeks ago I took in a regular sized Pekin who was in rough shape and about to be killed. He could barely lift his head and had zero energy. They assumed his neck was broken and wanted to cull. After taking him in, letting him feel safe, watching him and then examining. I realized his neck was not broken and all and that the reason he could not lift it was due to massive inflammation surrounding open wounds. I flushed his wounds daily, and gave oral antibiotics twice a day (with vet recommendation), I adjusted his water and food bowl so that he didn’t have to strain his neck, and today he is 98% healed up. He walks stiff and sits frequently, so I assume he needs a niacin boost (as they feed 50% corn where he came from).
I would love to integrate him in with my 3 boys! How is this best done? Right now, my 3 and the 1 new guy have their own grassy areas that are separated by chicken wire. The could go about their business, but they spend the day huddled next to each other, separated by the thin fence. One of the Swedes & the JPekin are pretty calm about his presence. They’re interested and sit with him, but mostly accept that he’s just right there. My one Swede, Poke, 30% of the day is poking at the chicken wire and at the new guy. New guy never reacts. Just kind of eats it up and stays completely calm. He seems to enjoy it because he can back off the fence line an extra foot or so, but chooses to just settle in right next to the fence where Poke is… poking. (He was appropriately named by the 3 year old who raised him.)
My guess is that I should keep them separated and let them get super familiar through the fence until the fall rolls around and hormones die down. I don’t know how old the new guy is, but he doesn’t seem young to me. Hoping he’s around the same age as mine, if not a year or two older. I worry about him eventually hurting my Jumbo Pekin (his name is Pines and I love him, fiercely). Right now Pines has it made because the two Swede brothers don’t mess with him at all. He has first dibs on the pond, and they never attempt to mount him. He is like their passive leader but so soft, so Poke steps up and plays the role of the muscle, if that makes sense. Peek (the other Swede) is just third string, but has the highest level of hormones coursing through him. It’s usually him starting “playful trouble” with his brother.
Ok. That’s it, those are my thoughts… I’d love to hear all of yours! I thought it would be sweet to give this sweet new comer a chance at a safer and potentially calmer life, especially being tucked away safely at night. He seems to really appreciate that part. He comes to the back door once it gets dark. I open the door and he walks right in. I don’t have a separate coop for him yet. They never coop any of the ducks where he came from & the vet thinks his injuries were possibly from a raccoon attack. I think he likes it here, and drakes have my heart as they are far harder to rehome. Willing to give integration a chance, with some guidance or recommendations.
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