When can a duckling be around the adult?

So I hatched one single Runner. He has been with the chicks but, being a duck, is growing much faster, drinking much more and making much more mess.

Just wondering at what stage he might be able to be around the drake without problems. He is almost 6 weeks old right now. The hen is still sitting. If she comes off with ducklings it might fix the conundrum since he could probably hang around her.

Fowler I have some 6 week old runners and blue magpies who I have been keeping fenced off from the main group of runners as I worry about the same thing when it comes to the drakes. Well yesterday much to my shock when I went out to check them in the evening they had made a break for it and were happily flocking with everyone else and the drakes were not bothering them, It's amazing how quickly ducks mature in comparsion to poultry.

Heather

I'm only new at this but I've been doing small little hatches until this last one and I've found the only worry with mixing ducks is stampeding. I mix ages but you just have to look at size difference. When they panic or just get startled they stampede and little ones can get hurt. I worried about the young ones too but the drakes don't seem to have any interest in them. I was worried about the young females in the pool with the drakes but they seem to know the difference because they don't bother with them and will even share the pool but an adult female hops in the pool and drake goes to work.

I keep the little babies in the house for the first week then they go out to my pony stall til about 3wks (when they all of a sudden grow like crazy) and then out with the rest of the flock. Right now I have a Momma duck with 10 tiny little babies and I have 3 older ducklings that just aren't ready to go out with the adults in my stall. I have been locking mom in a kennel with babies at night but during the day the little ones occasionally get confused and snuggle with the older ducklings and I worry. Hope my observations help Fowler