Ducklings and hens

elfael · **Posted:** Sat Dec 29, 2007 4:24 pm

I need to send my ducklings to join my calls at a relative's place for a week, but I'm not sure how best to introduce them to the pen. As well as my pair of adult calls, they have their own laying hens and an adult pekin duck. They'll have to go into the main (only!) pen with the rest of the birds, and I'm worried about them being bullied by the hens. Apparently they gave my call drake a hard time when he was put in there. My bantam saxony babies are 6 weeks old and the muscovy is about 4 weeks. Keeping them separate isn't an option because they'll be in another town and I'm relying on someone else to look after them for me. Is there anything I can do to make it easier for them?

Rebecca

Jeff Trescott · **Posted:** Mon Dec 31, 2007 2:25 pm

If you put them in a small cage in with the calls for a couple of days it should help.

Jeff

Muscovy J · **Posted:** Mon Dec 31, 2007 3:06 pm

hi birds and older ducks can be very hard on ducklings , i think it depends on the birds , muscovy adults can get very rough and well attack ducklings , i have a drake who will kill young ducklings as he can get very savage with them , but then you will get drakes that dont worry about ducklings . i dont let my ducklings out until there at least 6 or 7 weeks old so that thay can get away from aggresive birds .

Happyhenz. · **Joined:** Mon Aug 20, 2007 10:49 am **Posts:** 607

i found my mussie girls are bad with the small ducks.Even roughing up the campbells which tower over them both.
the drake i had here was a gentle giant :-D

My hens were also a bit mean to the bubba ducks but seem to be ok now.

If its only for a week is it possible to knock up a temp. pen for them?
It usually takes more than a week for them to be accepted so i think they will have a hard time while your away.

elfael · **Posted:** Mon Dec 31, 2007 4:03 pm

Unfortunately they're going to a working couple with 3 young children and not a lot of time. I could leave them in the small cage they're in at the moment (a tractor-type guinea pig cage that they've just about outgrown) but they need to have their water changed and be moved 3 to 4 times a day. About the best idea I've been able to come up with is to leave them in their current cage, inside the larger pen, for a day or so before letting them out. Is that likely to help? Any longer in the small cage would just be too much for my brother-in-law to manage. I don't think he'd be into partitioning off the pen for a week - once again, too much work.

Would it help to put obstacles in the pen for the ducklings to run behind to break line of sight if the hens are getting aggro, or would the hens just follow the ducklings and keep pecking?

The saxonies are mostly feathered, and the mussie's about the same size as them even though it's only just started to get feathers.

elfael · **Posted:** Wed Jan 02, 2008 3:28 pm

Well, after all the worry, I put them in the pen this morning ... and the hens totally ignored them! I was hovering, prepared to rescue the babies, but after an hour of watching them they looked as though they'd always been there, so I left them to it. No grief from the other ducks either. :-D

Thanks for the feedback everyone

Muscovy J · **Posted:** Wed Jan 02, 2008 4:34 pm

good to see it all worked out for you mate

Happyhenz. · **Joined:** Mon Aug 20, 2007 10:49 am **Posts:** 607

glad it worked out :-D

Peacocks Australia · **Joined:** Wed Jan 02, 2002 9:14 am **Posts:** 310755

Hi Elfael, they say "Worry is interest paid in advance" but we all do it.

Great it all worked out.

Thanks
P.A :lol:

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