ducks wanted

[cagoodear]

Hi,
I am thinking about adding a few ducks to the family/menagerie. I was thinking of a couple of campbells and a couple of Indian Runners. We have kept chickens (most of which we have acquired/rescued) for years but I have never had ducks before so I was wondering if anyone knew of a good breeder in the North Derbyshire area? Or if anyone knows of any ducks needing a new home.
thanks
claire

[sandy]

Cant help in your area but if you do have ducks make sure they are kept seperate from hens .

[Mulluc37]

Hi Sandy

I keep two Indian runner ducks in with my Hens, never had any problems, is there a reason they should not be kept together? Never heard of them having to be separated before.

Thanks

Sharon

[sandy]

Sharon are your ducks and hens in a very large area? Do you have girlie ducks too? Last year the indian runner named Lucky(see my posts from last July and indeed just a few days ago) had caused terrible damage to a light sussex and a white star chicken and I was covered in bruises. It is a situation I would never ever like to see again

[Mulluc37]

Hi Sandy

Yes they are in a large enclosure and they free range around the garden for half of the day, I have a male and female duck, the male ( touch wood) has never shown any aggression to the hens at all, but thank you for sharing your experience with me, I will certainly keep and eye on the drake & hens and will separate them if I get an inkling that things will turn nasty. When I got them ( all at the same time) the breeder advised that they would happily co-exist hence why they are in together, I will take a look at your other post.

Thanks

[sandy]

Sharon I am so glad to hear your 'boy' is acting like a gentleman

[Mulluc37]

Thanks Sandy,

Although I think I may have tempted fate, I have had the ducks in with the hens when I bought them all together at the end of May, they ducks were 10 weeks old at this point, they are now 20 weeks old, the female has not yet laid her 1st egg, although she could still be a few weeks of, but this Morning, when I let them out, the drake, seemed to be taking real offence to the two newbies, I bought six hens when I bought the ducks and two weeks ago, I bought a Verwork Hen & a cockerel, I kept them apart but in sight of each other for 2 weeks, and I put them in the same coop/run on Sunday just gone, the older hens are obviously having a pop and re-establishing the pecking order which is to be expected, and the main bully has been removed for the last two days and all seemed to be calm, until this Morning when the drake really went for the female hen, he has never done this before, but is this because he is now coming of age, am I now going to have to separate them completely? How long do I wait to see if this calms down? HELP

[sandy]

The drakes come into season now and will go at any female for a fair few months so I would split the run asap