A Pekin duck settles into a new home when her pen is dry underfoot, her water is deep enough to clear her nostrils, and nothing in the first week asks her to outrun a predator or out-compete a resident flock. Pekins are big, white, famously good-natured ducks, bred heavy and nearly flightless, which makes them charming and genuinely vulnerable at the same time.
Make the Pekin's pen predator-proof and dry before she arrives
Security is the first gift a new home owes a Pekin, because she cannot fly and cannot run fast on those short legs. Enclose her pen with strong mesh that reaches the ground with no gaps at the corners, and give her a solid night house with a door that latches against raccoons and neighborhood dogs. Inside, spread deep, dry straw or shavings and plan to refresh it often, since ducks splash and a Pekin's weight on wet, dirty bedding quickly sores her feet.
Sort out drinking water and swimming water separately
A Pekin must be able to dunk her entire head, so her drinking water needs depth even when no pond exists yet. Provide a sturdy bucket or trough deep enough for full head-dipping, and expect to refresh it more than once a day, because a duck turns clean water cloudy with enthusiasm. Head-dipping keeps her eyes and nostrils clear, so this is a health fixture, not a treat. Swimming water can wait a few days and then arrive supervised in a shallow pool with a ramp or step she can climb out on, since an exhausted heavy duck struggles with steep slick sides.
Feed the Pekin a duck-appropriate diet from the first meal
A Pekin's first meals at home should be feed formulated for waterfowl or an all-flock ration, offered in a heavy, low pan she cannot tip. Ducks eat by scooping and washing food down with water, so place the feed pan near the water bucket and accept the happy mess that follows. If she arrived from a home feeding something different, mix old and new feed across several days while her droppings and appetite stay steady.
Introduce the Pekin to resident birds through mesh first
Resident ducks or chickens should meet the Pekin through mesh for several days before anyone shares a yard. Feed the groups on opposite sides of the mesh so company and meals become linked. When they finally mix, supervise in the largest space you have, put out more feed and water stations than the birds strictly need, and watch whether the Pekin eats in peace or hovers at the edges. Give her a way back into her own pen at first, and keep dog introductions on a lead and at a distance until the dog has proven it can look at a waddling white duck and stay bored.
Watch a new Pekin's legs, feet and appetite daily
Daily watching matters because Pekins hide problems behind a placid temperament until an issue is well advanced. Look at how she walks each morning: a new Pekin should waddle evenly, and a limp, reluctance to stand, or sores on the underside of her feet call for cleaner, softer ground and prompt advice. Notice whether she is first or last to the feed pan, since a duck this food-loving who hangs back is telling you something. Contact an avian-savvy veterinarian if she stops eating, breathes with an open bill at rest, or cannot bear weight on a leg. Write down who fed, who refreshed water and who locked the coop each night, and KinsLe Family Sharing keeps those duck duties visible to the whole household on her shared profile.