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| Reply #: 10 Posted on: 04-04-13 07:55 AM |
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| Well, it's been my experience that weather it's wild or domestic, it really depends on your flock if the new ducks are accepted. I've had several different hatches and my first "flock" started with some ducklings that I did not hatch. First flock was a Pekin, a black crested, a rouen and a mallard pekin cross..they got along famously, I raised them and then put them to free roam in the lake. Now, in my case there are a couple seperate flocks of Mallards that are wild and live on the lake as well. The mallards accepted my flock and there were no issues at all. a few months later I ordered some eggs and i got a cuyoga, 4 runner ducks, 2 buff ducks and a couple wood ducks to hatch. I raised them and put them on the lake as the others. What I've found is that the ducks that are raised together will ALWAYS stay together..in other words..i have a flock of 4, and then another flock of the rest..the two flocks do not always travel and hang out together, but they do get along for the most part..they of course have their little tassles but get along fine. They ALL come running when they see me, or my car and they'll all eat from my hand..in fact if i don't go out and they're looking for me..they'll go up the ramp right on to my deck and look in the back door window quacking for me..even the wild mallards have now adopted me. Ok..so that being said..as i said all my birds got along. about 4 months ago a lady on a farm had 3 pekin ducks she was looking to rehome because the hawks were killing them one by one..they were still ducklings and yellow..about 2 weeks old I'd say when i got them. I brought them home and in a couple weeks when they were feathered let them out with the rest. At first all was well, my flock with the buffs accepted them and it seemed took them in as their own ..but then it turned ugly. I don't know why, but all the sudden, my male buff took an extrememe dislike to one of the pekins and relentlessly chased him and in fact would attempt to drown him. It was breeding season and it was the first year the buff was sexually mature so I figured he'd settle down. he did not. He did end up drowning that duck and has now been so aggressive toward the others that they can't even come up in the yard, he chases them away as soon as he sees them. So i don't think it's wild versus domestic..i just think ducks are ducks. The wild breeds are more skitsy than the domestic..they get paniced easier, and are less trusting..even when raised from hatchlings. At least mine are. I attribute this to the fact that Woods, and mandarins are much smaller ducks..along with the fact that they're wild, They'll tame to a point, and get very aggitated and freaked out if you try to hold them..they get stressed more easily than the domestics..of course this is a generalization..there are exceptions, and I'm sure others have different experiences and can add to this thread. |
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