Re: Merging Duck Flocks

From: Kathleen (sbffalo_at_bbtel.com)
Date: 09/21/04 

Date: 21 Sep 2004 01:26:16 -0700

"Tapper" <ocfarmergranny@earthlink.net> wrote in message news:<Tnf3d.6725$mb6.5370@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net>...
> The pair is a couple; the gang of 5 only has 2 females (I lost 2 females
> last fall and I was hoping this year's ducklings would correct the problem).
> The 7 young ducks all still have female coloring, but from the quacks I
> think I have at least 4 females.
>
> Thanks!
> --Pat
>
>
> " Jill." <news@REMOVETHISkintaline.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:414afdde$0$42258$ed2e19e4@ptn-nntp-reader04.plus.net...
> > Evelynne Patterson wrote:
> > > Hi All!
> > > I decided that I'd wait until they were too old to be killed by the
> > > older ducks. Now they are a bit over half the size of the adults
> > > (10 weeks old?), their down is gone, they're quacking and their pin
> > > feathers are in. I think they're old enough to survive being in with
> > > the other ducks. The gang seems mildly interested in the ducklings;
> > > they quack a warning to the kids when someone is coming but otherwise
> > > aren't too involved. The pair is still stalking around the pen
> > > hitting at the wire. This has been going on for 2 months now.
> >
> > What happens if you let one or two of the "gang" in with them - do you get
> > the same reaction??
> > If it were possible it would be good to bring the "gang" and the
> youngsters
> > together and then add the "pair". But you do not want an all out bunfight.
> > If you can achieve a meld of gang and youngsters then the latter should
> get
> > some protection from the pair later on
> > It may just be that you have to wait until they are young adults and
> > properly big enough to stand up for themselves
> > Hopefully others will come up with some ideas - we have not had any such
> > problems with our young ducks - so far the others have always accepted
> them
> > with no aggro - but that may be dilution of numbers.
> >
> > How many males and females do you now have in each group?
> >
> > --
> > regards
> > Jill Bowis
> >
> > Pure bred utility chickens and ducks
> > Housing; Equipment, Books, Videos, Gifts
> > Herbaceous; Herb and Alpine nursery
> > Holidays in Scotland and Wales
> > http://www.kintaline.co.uk
> >

Hi!
I had a similar problem with my guineas this year. I ended up keeping
them with the young ducklings until they were ready for the pond, then
letting them all out together. The older guineas had killed several
of the babies (again, like your birds, after losing a nest of eggs
within a day or so) but at about half-grown, the youngsters could
out-run them free-range. The ducklings confused the adults a bit in
the fray. Now the bachelor guinea has taken the rest of the
youngsters for his own family. He runs everything off that gets near
them, including the ducklings. Seems he's intent on teaching them to
be guineas!
Perhaps one of your problems could be that you do have limited space
and the birds are not free-range?
Quite odd, this attacking of young birds of another family when a mom
loses her own. I've not seen it before this year. Maybe that
"preserving the genes" thing.
Just some thoughts.

Kathleen
Straw Barry Fields Farm
Beefalo
Kentucky, USA

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