Introducing new ducks

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Yvonne

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The ducks we currently have share a shed and roam free with access to the fields and pond. They are let out about 8.30am. The 3 new ducks are arriving about 2.30pm tomorrow and will be sharing the same shed. What would be the best way to introduce them?

The goslings will have their own shed and penned in to start with as they are only 2 or 3 weeks old so they're not a problem.

Thank you
 
I honestly don't know Yvonne,but,I would try and shut them together.
Maybe shut you new ducks in the shed when they arrive,and let your first ducks in when they normally go to bed.I'm no expert though,if a duck person doesn't notice this post berore you get your ducks,ask the seller how to go about introducing them into an existing flock.
 
If there is no risk of them flying away or going off and getting lost, just let them go and they should join in with the others, wing flapping and tail wagging with glee. At bed time they should follow the rest into the shed. There may be, at most, a little jostling, quacking, head bobbing and neck wrestling.
 
Hi Lydia and Steepleducks

Thank you both for your replies.

I sent a text to my friend to ask the seller when she went to collect them and she said the same as Steepleducks.

So they arrived and we let them out in the field. They found the others but kept wandering off so were rounded up and sent back. There were 4 adults and 2 collies. I went off to sort out the goslings, then noticed there were 2 new ducks coming back from the front yard under the gate, no sign of my friend or her dog or the 3rd duck. The next second my OH was off running up the field. No sign of the 2 new ducks and still no sign of my friend, dog and 3rd new duck.

PANIC. Lost them.

OH finally caught them in the next field and they were herded back only to disappear into the garden hedge. Both were eventually caught and carried back to the others and the 3rd one was retrieved from behind the straw bales in the front yard, found and flushed out by my friend's dog.
The next half hour was spent on "duck watch" but they have settled now. Phew. These new ducks are 26 wks old and laying.

The goslings are really cute. They are 10 days old. They settled really quickly and once they'd had a drink were very relaxed and went to sleep. They now have a cardboard box with straw in, to sleep in if they want, inside their shed. Hopefully that will keep them warm as they had been having a heat lamp til last night.

I will post some pics as soon as I can take them. :)
 
That's real free range. Mine have ultimately got an electric poultry fence to stop them. How are they doing now? Goslings are cute aren't they?
 
Hi

Sadly, hasn't quite been a happy outcome with the ducks.

The three settled in the afternoon and when it was getting dusk, went out, shouted bedtime and the original ducks trooped into the shed and the three new ones followed and went in no bother. Great.

Sunday I was at work early as we were going out later. My OH let the ducks out about 9.20am and as usual they all went down to the pond, new ducks followed, and they had laid. They were all happily splashing and playing in the water. Ten minutes later, OH fetched our 4x4 and the hoover, he was only away a matter of mins. When he came back he noticed one of the new ducks missing. So he went up the field, checked ditches, hedges, barn, went out onto the road and checked the field and track opposite. Absolutely no sign, like she had just disappeared into thin air.

We checked Sunday night and yesterday, but there is no sign. The other 2 are happy.

The original ducks rarely go more than 100 metres into the field, they stay around the pond which is only about 30ft from their house in the orchard, adjacent to the house.

The goslings are growing. They were quiet Saturday, it was a "long" day and they just slept once they'd had a drink and a bit to eat. They were a bit quiet Sunday, but have made up for it since. Going to make a bit of a pen for them around the shed so if it is a nice day they can get a bit of sun, supervised.

Trying to get to know them, they run away still at the moment, but I must look very big to them inside their house :)
 
sorry you lost a duck. Unfortunately, it was probably a fox that took it.
 
I am sorry they took a while to settle,must have been very stressfull.Very sorry one has disapeared :cry: , does sound like a fox got her.
 
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