ruthhope
Free Ranging
I am open to advice suggestions as I rescued 2 pekin drakes 3 weeks ago and as yet have not found new homes for them. The drakes are likely 7 months old -- they are neck wrestling with each other trying to establish dominance, but still bonded close together, probably from adversity. These drakes have obviously been abused before they were dumped in an unsuitable environment. They both have very badly [and unnecessarily] clipped wings with their flight feathers cut through the blood vessels. They are very frightened of me even though I spend an hour a day sitting talking to the ducks while they are safely in a temporary pen in my back garden and when they are safely in a dog crate over night in my house.
My flock consists for four drakes -- two muscovy and two pekin: all rescues. The two pekins are about 14 months old and the muscovy about 10 months old. The muscovies are the top of the peking order but one of the pekins, Ping, thinks he's boss duck -- very noisy and hangs out with one of the muscovy, although he does get side pecked periodically to let him know where he is in the social standing. The other pekin was most recently added and is pugnacious. It took about 6 weeks to get him integrated and he lost all his tail feathers by not acknowledging that muscovy are much bigger and stronger than he is. Well the four now have a liveable relationship with Ping being pals with the other pekin and with the muscovy.
My question is how should I integrate the two new boys? They have been in a pen separate but surrounded by my flock for two weeks, having spent the first week in a dog crate in my house with a screen door between them and my ducks. From today, I am moving their dog crate into my coop so that they will be sleeping with my other ducks, but I will still take them out and have them in the pen during the day. The two new boys make threatening had movements to my ducks when they pass by the pen -- they actually chase round the pen threatening pugnacious pekin who returns the threatening head movements. Ping doesn't make threatening movements and the muscovy largely ingore the two newcomers while they are in the pen.
I am worried that there are going to be lots of feathers flying when the new boys start mixing with my boys. Should I integrate one at a time or both together? I feel sure that the two new boys will attack together, but then Ping will go in and join a skirmish between pugnacious pekin and the two newcomers [I know this as my son rather stupidly opened the pen door "just for a few seconds" and that immediatley resulted in 4 pekins in a heap attacking eachother.]
Advice please! And also if anyone in NE Florida/SE Georgia would like to give a home to a youthful pekin drake who will need a lot of kindness to gain his trust, please get in touch. I will transport him to a good new home.
My flock consists for four drakes -- two muscovy and two pekin: all rescues. The two pekins are about 14 months old and the muscovy about 10 months old. The muscovies are the top of the peking order but one of the pekins, Ping, thinks he's boss duck -- very noisy and hangs out with one of the muscovy, although he does get side pecked periodically to let him know where he is in the social standing. The other pekin was most recently added and is pugnacious. It took about 6 weeks to get him integrated and he lost all his tail feathers by not acknowledging that muscovy are much bigger and stronger than he is. Well the four now have a liveable relationship with Ping being pals with the other pekin and with the muscovy.
My question is how should I integrate the two new boys? They have been in a pen separate but surrounded by my flock for two weeks, having spent the first week in a dog crate in my house with a screen door between them and my ducks. From today, I am moving their dog crate into my coop so that they will be sleeping with my other ducks, but I will still take them out and have them in the pen during the day. The two new boys make threatening had movements to my ducks when they pass by the pen -- they actually chase round the pen threatening pugnacious pekin who returns the threatening head movements. Ping doesn't make threatening movements and the muscovy largely ingore the two newcomers while they are in the pen.
I am worried that there are going to be lots of feathers flying when the new boys start mixing with my boys. Should I integrate one at a time or both together? I feel sure that the two new boys will attack together, but then Ping will go in and join a skirmish between pugnacious pekin and the two newcomers [I know this as my son rather stupidly opened the pen door "just for a few seconds" and that immediatley resulted in 4 pekins in a heap attacking eachother.]
Advice please! And also if anyone in NE Florida/SE Georgia would like to give a home to a youthful pekin drake who will need a lot of kindness to gain his trust, please get in touch. I will transport him to a good new home.
