help the new duck mom

[debsnyder]

I had two Pekin ducks for about two years. A couple weeks ago, I found my female duck dead. No visible marks, no sign of sickness. It seems she just dropped over, actually she was floating in her little pond I had built her.

Well, my male Pekin duck seemed so lonely that I went out and bought a little baby Khaki Cambpell duck (I didn't get another Pekin because I didn't want to seem like I was trying to fool the other duck into thinking it was her).

Anyway, the male duck does not seem to like the baby, and I won't even put the baby in with him. I have the baby in a separate fenced-in area. It's my hope that once the baby gets bigger, the Pekin will learn to accept it.

I really have no idea about this kind of thing. Both of them are so sweet. Do you think I'll ever be able to put the two together. How will I know? I don't want anything to happen to Baby.

[BitsyNaceyDog]

I'm sorry for the loss of your duck. I don't have any advise for you, I just wanted to welcome you to Pet Talk. We love pictures over here, so please indulge us with some pictures of you ducks. What are their names?

[Genny]

Hey,
I'm sorry about your duck; I know how terrible it can be to lose one. We use to have pet ducks and they are kinda like dogs in a way

Don't worry about getting another pekin if you want one; the male duck won't mistaken the new baby for the duck that died--they can tell the difference between one another--my ducks use to separate into 4 or 5 different groups...kinda like kids at school. They all had 'best' friends and picked on some of the 'other' ducks.

If I were you (this is the way I introduced my ducks to baby ones) I would just keep the baby separated from the grown duck. If you can keep the little one in another pen or something where the big one can't get to it--but if you can leave it where the big one can see it all the time. Don't leave the baby alone w/ the grown duck though because he might try to attack it--

Each day just let the baby in w/ the grown duck and see how they act--you wonder how you'll know 'when?' I think you'll just be able to tell when it's the right time to let them stay together--and to be safe at least wait til the baby is big enough to take care of itself..because there is always a pecking order w/ ducks and I'm sure the grown one you have will be the 'boss.'
I think as time goes on they'll bond w/ each other and you should be able to let them stay together all the time like with the other one you had before.

If you've got more questions you can ask them here.

Goodluck--oh and what are their names?