how do i get my flock to like a duckling ?

chickenlady2004

Songster
Aug 16, 2023
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hey guys so one of my female ducks had trouble with a baby this year. she only had one and wouldn’t leave the rest of the eggs to take care of it. i was told on here to take care of it till then. well she finally got off the eggs and took care of her in a separate place for 3 weeks. the duckling is around 2 months old now i’d say. maybe close to 3. i’m not sure why but when i put her out with the other ducks they are so mean to her. i don’t have a separate yard for them. and momma seems distant from her now. how do i get them to like her? i’ve tried everything. i also notice that she has trouble walking? not trouble but like she’s not good at it. maybe it’s cause she’s still young but i find she trips herself easy. is that from the lack of other duck connections? other than that she’s healthy.
picture below. i have her in a bunny cage so she can still hangout with them and they can get used to her (she ofc does not sleep in this or bath in this. just for an hour or so. trying to get them used to her) all im wondering is, is she now a house duck? i dont want to force her with them and they hurt her. but i dont want her lonely either. and i really can’t get another duck right now
 

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unfortunately there's not much you can do. keep it separated but make sure they can see each other for awhile. but either way there going to want to establish their pecking order. i would let them together and give them a few hours they should let it be. not saying they will be best friends but theyll get along. ducks are alot like humans they have there clicks. and the only way to truly be in the click is to grow up together.
 
hey guys so one of my female ducks had trouble with a baby this year. she only had one and wouldn’t leave the rest of the eggs to take care of it. i was told on here to take care of it till then. well she finally got off the eggs and took care of her in a separate place for 3 weeks. the duckling is around 2 months old now i’d say. maybe close to 3. i’m not sure why but when i put her out with the other ducks they are so mean to her. i don’t have a separate yard for them. and momma seems distant from her now. how do i get them to like her? i’ve tried everything. i also notice that she has trouble walking? not trouble but like she’s not good at it. maybe it’s cause she’s still young but i find she trips herself easy. is that from the lack of other duck connections? other than that she’s healthy.
picture below. i have her in a bunny cage so she can still hangout with them and they can get used to her (she ofc does not sleep in this or bath in this. just for an hour or so. trying to get them used to her) all im wondering is, is she now a house duck? i dont want to force her with them and they hurt her. but i dont want her lonely either. and i really can’t get another duck right now
I would not recommend keeping a house duck.

Continue to introduce with the bunny cage like you are. Expect some aggression, of course. Ducks must establish their pecking order for them to get along. When you have the time, put everyone together in a big, open area, and watch them close. Any chasing or shoving is fine. Separate if you see any excessive biting / fighting, or if you can’t be there to watch them. Reintroduce every day until they’re getting along..

Edit: Also, about her mama - her mom almost certainly does not recognize her anymore, which is why she is distant.

I find it generally takes 1 - 2 weeks for new ducks to integrate.

Also, for her trouble walking, it’s not from her age, or from the lack of other ducks. How much niacin is she getting?
You can get her started on some of Durvet’s Vit B complex. Give her 1 mil a day over some tasty treats. You can also give her some extra swim time as water therapy.
 
i think if it is at all possible, you could get another duckling or two that are approximately the same age as yours, let them live together for a couple weeks and form their own click, then introduce them to the big flock a little at a time (through a fence the first week, etc. etc.) that would work best, but you have to be able to do it. You might not be able to find ducklings that are around the same age in your area or you might not have enough housing to fit all the extra ducks. I don’t know it’s just an idea.
 
I would not recommend keeping a house duck.

Continue to introduce with the bunny cage like you are. Expect some aggression, of course. Ducks must establish their pecking order for them to get along. When you have the time, put everyone together in a big, open area, and watch them close. Any chasing or shoving is fine. Separate if you see any excessive biting / fighting, or if you can’t be there to watch them. Reintroduce every day until they’re getting along..

Edit: Also, about her mama - her mom almost certainly does not recognize her anymore, which is why she is distant.

I find it generally takes 1 - 2 weeks for new ducks to integrate.

Also, for her trouble walking, it’s not from her age, or from the lack of other ducks. How much niacin is she getting?
You can get her started on some of Durvet’s Vit B complex. Give her 1 mil a day over some tasty treats. You can also give her some extra swim time as water therapy.
i have electrolytes for ducks and chickens that have lots of vitamins and vitamin b in it. will that be okay until i can get what your talking about? i live in rural area.

i put her out with them for about 20 min today. going to try to go for an hour or two in the morning. thanks for the help
 
I would not recommend keeping a house duck.

Continue to introduce with the bunny cage like you are. Expect some aggression, of course. Ducks must establish their pecking order for them to get along. When you have the time, put everyone together in a big, open area, and watch them close. Any chasing or shoving is fine. Separate if you see any excessive biting / fighting, or if you can’t be there to watch them. Reintroduce every day until they’re getting along..

Edit: Also, about her mama - her mom almost certainly does not recognize her anymore, which is why she is distant.

I find it generally takes 1 - 2 weeks for new ducks to integrate.

Also, for her trouble walking, it’s not from her age, or from the lack of other ducks. How much niacin is she getting?
You can get her started on some of Durvet’s Vit B complex. Give her 1 mil a day over some tasty treats. You can also give her some extra swim time as water therapy.
sorry don’t mean to sound inexperienced. i’ve had animals for almost four years now and i’ve never had an issue with this before. i can send u a picture of what the vitamin pack is. i gave it to all my chickens growing up, it has vitamin d, b3, and b. and loads of other vitamins that im blanking on.
edit: she seemed tired today? she normally isn’t and i googled what you’re talking about and id say she’s at the very beginning stage of this. still a worry of course but id like to nip it in the butt before it gets to the point of damage that can’t undone. thank you for letting me know!
 

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sorry don’t mean to sound inexperienced. i’ve had animals for almost four years now and i’ve never had an issue with this before. i can send u a picture of what the vitamin pack is. i gave it to all my chickens growing up, it has vitamin d, b3, and b. and loads of other vitamins that im blanking on.
edit: she seemed tired today? she normally isn’t and i googled what you’re talking about and id say she’s at the very beginning stage of this. still a worry of course but id like to nip it in the butt before it gets to the point of damage that can’t undone. thank you for letting me know!
How much niacin is in this vitamin packet?
 

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