Introducing new ducks to bonded pair.

[Violanna]

Hi so all my ducks are still very very young. My oldest 2 are exactly 2 months old and very strongly bonded. Like they can’t be more than 5 feet away from each other without full blown panic setting in.

I also have 2 4 week old and 3 2 week old ducklings all in the brooder together that get along really well. Well one of the 4 week old is a jumbo Pekin and she is almost the size of the older ducks and ready to go outside. I have been trying to slowly get the groups used to each other by bringing the young ones out an hour a day. Well turns out my drake is a jerk!! And he is making his girl follow suit to a lesser extent. He has yet to really hurt any of the ducklings but he harasses them and chases them and pecks at them. I let my Pekin be alone with them in the run for 3 hours today and she did ok but still a lot of harassing! I don’t think she would last the night if I had them share a coop.

I really don’t know what more I can do to get the used to each other or how much to allow as far as this behavior goes. Getting rid of just the drake isn’t an option since they are so tightly bonded. So if it’s a case of get rid of the mean duck they both have to go. I hope you vets have some advice!

 

[Mallards and Quail]

Hi so all my ducks are still very very young. My oldest 2 are exactly 2 months old and very strongly bonded. Like they can’t be more than 5 feet away from each other without full blown panic setting in.

I also have 2 4 week old and 3 2 week old ducklings all in the brooder together that get along really well. Well one of the 4 week old is a jumbo Pekin and she is almost the size of the older ducks and ready to go outside. I have been trying to slowly get the groups used to each other by bringing the young ones out an hour a day. Well turns out my drake is a jerk!! And he is making his girl follow suit to a lesser extent. He has yet to really hurt any of the ducklings but he harasses them and chases them and pecks at them. I let my Pekin be alone with them in the run for 3 hours today and she did ok but still a lot of harassing! I don’t think she would last the night if I had them share a coop.

I really don’t know what more I can do to get the used to each other or how much to allow as far as this behavior goes. Getting rid of just the drake isn’t an option since they are so tightly bonded. So if it’s a case of get rid of the mean duck they both have to go. I hope you vets have some advice!

I'll tag some people who may be able to help.

@Luv Ducks
@HollowOfWisps

 

[fluffycrow]

@BelovedBirds @New duck mommy 2021 @Canadian Wind what do yall say?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Is there a way that you can separate so the pair can see the others, but not get to them? For how long have you been trying to introduce them? You mention an hour a day for how many days? It will take much longer than an hour a day for a few days for everyone to get along.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Yes, they need to be in a see-no-touch situation for a while. The older ones are probably this bonded because they only have each other. And the young ones are a bit too young to be introduced, imo. Wait until they are larger and are fully feathered out, at least 6-8 weeks old. They'll be able to hold their own at that point, too.

 

[Luv Ducks]

I'll tag some people who may be able to help.

@Luv Ducks
@HollowOfWisps

My Mallard ducklings were always fully feathered before I let them in with the rest of the flock. My Pen is large too so they were in a Pet Gazebo that they were born in and separated from the rest of the flock but could see everyone through the netting that I use to separate them. When I was able to let them out everything was fine but it was around September, never during mating season so that no Drake could try to mate them. Drakes can hurt ducklings so I would never let any bigger ducks around them until they are fully grown. Good luck with your decision.

 

[fatty and friends]

ducks can take weeks to get used to each other, usually in a few weeks they'll be able to be together without any fighting. they may never be "friends" though, my two pairs have been together the younger pairs entire life (3 years) and still are only really bonded to their mate

 

[Violanna]

ducks can take weeks to get used to each other, usually in a few weeks they'll be able to be together without any fighting. they may never be "friends" though, my two pairs have been together the younger pairs entire life (3 years) and still are only really bonded to their mate

Yeah that’s kind of what I was hoping for. But when they are actively searching out and chasing the younger ducks I’m just at a loss. I’d be able to tolerate pecking if they got too close because that makes sense. But the bullying is hard for me to deal with. The worst part is since they are bonded I can’t even say I’ll just remove the drake and test the waters. They literally can’t be separated.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

Yoy need to be patient and not put them out with the older ducks yet without some kind of fencing so it’s see no touch
It took my girls weeks to accept my drake to be in the outdoor area Even them then a few more weeks before they let him in the sleeping area
They will all be fine eventually so don’t worry about having to give him away
I lost my one girl a few months later and the other one bonded to my drake they never go to far from each other
They had 5 off spring I hatched
Then another 4 and a few Swedish I have bought
They all tend to stick to their little groups but everyone lives together
The last 2 girls I brought in went straight out of the crate and into the yard with the crew of 14 and nobody had a worry about it they gravitated to the younger crew as they were about the same age
The bigger my flock is the less they worry about new additions

 

[Luv Ducks]

I also think that when adding new ducks it depends on the outcome on how big your pen is. My pen is rather large and they have plenty of places to hide and get out of the way. I have 6 different houses in the pen and 14 water containers with three big food containers for my 14 ducks. Right now I have 2 sister hens with eggs sitting on them in my pet gazebo and they are separated from the flock. If a couple of my males do not quit picking feathers out of my two Rouen Ducks heads they will go into another house situation which will be Drake Jail and stay there until September. Good luck with yours. I have been able to add new ducks by just putting them in the pen and all was well. They were 3 months old though and not young ones.