Add New ducklings to flock

12 years ago

Hello,

One of my Indian runners hatched two eggs about four weeks ago, and the ducklings are doing great! I've got those three in half of a barn stall (their portion is about 4x9), and four other adults (three hens and a drake, the happy father) in the other half. The flock goes outside during the day, and the trio stays inside all the time, making the standard ducky inside barn mess.

I'm wondering when they will be old enough to integrate the trio back into the flock and let everyone go outside during the day. Thoughts?

--Jonathan

Comments (2)

brendasue
12 years ago
We allow the moms to keep the ducklings with the other adults. The little ones hide under mom, coming out for brief spurts and running back.

To integrate them into a flock that they have not been in all along, we pen them inside the big pen inside a wire cage (the wire being small enough the little ones can't get out). We do this for a week or so and they introduce each other through the wire, get used to the little ones, and become part of the flock. Then we let them out with mom into the flock full time.

Little late on responding, wish I had come to visit in a more timely fashion. Hope it all worked out for you.

Brendasue
Jonathan
Original Author
12 years ago
At about 7 weeks, I let them join the flock, after some time being able to see each other through the stall dividers. But the adult drake started doing his typically awful drake things to one of them. So, I separated him, and all is now well. The drake now resides at a local little zoo....