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Mallard drakes

(13 posts)

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  1. Ghent
    Member

    All 4 of my four week old mallard ducklings are getting a touch of green feathers on there heads does this mean they are drakes

    George
    Posted 1 year ago #

  2. Katydid
    Member

    Oh, sounds like it. Are any of them quacking? A real quack, or just a quiet rasp?
    KT

    No holidays, too many birds.
    Posted 1 year ago #

  3. Ghent
    Member

    One makes a real quack but it is very hard to tell because it is a quiet quack.

    George

    George
    Posted 1 year ago #

  4. m40mo
    Administrator

    oh George bad luck if you wanted eggs but yes sounds like all drakes,
    what will you do if they are

    mo x
    Posted 1 year ago #

  5. Katydid
    Member

    Boys do make great pets, especially with no girls around. But they will try to fly away to find girls if they are able to.
    KT

    No holidays, too many birds.
    Posted 1 year ago #

  6. Ghent
    Member

    If they turn out to be all drakes I will order sexed girl mallard ducklings off the Internet . If this happens how many should I order if I have all drakes.

    George
    Posted 1 year ago #

  7. Katydid
    Member

    At least 1 for each drake, I think most people would recommend 2 per drake. Your flock is growing.
    KT

    No holidays, too many birds.
    Posted 1 year ago #

  8. m40mo
    Administrator

    George the recomended is 5 or 6 girls per drake to save them from being over mated, thats a lot of ducks for 4 drakes but it doesnt work like that anyway, it is nature that as they get older probably next year for the age of yours that the drakes will fight to establish who is top drake and the girls can be caught in the middle of it as the boys fight to claim the girls,
    I only have 2 drakes as I have told you before and if they are kept as pets it is awful to see them fight and worse still to see girls get injured, in many ways I have been lucky the biggest damage I have seen is a girl with a bald neck, but girls can suffer many injuries including broken legs if it happens on land and drowning if on water
    its hard but I would strongly advise you buy more girls to sell of as pairs with 3 of your drakes and keep one drake with as many girls you have the room for

    mo x
    Posted 1 year ago #

  9. campbell ridge
    Administrator

    mallards are monogamous so only need one female each. Unfortunately the ratio for hatching is 2-1 in drakes favour, which is where the problems lie in the wild there being many more drakes after the same female.
    I wouldn't be too hasty in ordering more as it really is very early for true colours to come through. But if you do order sexed females make sure they are the same age as yours within a week or so. :)

    Sarah L
    Posted 1 year ago #

  10. m40mo
    Administrator

    its very confusing all this different advice and I stand corrected on the number of females I suggested to you George for mallards I was thinking more of my own breed of ducks

    I do though still think if you are keeping them as pets one drake is better, I really wish I had accepted that advice when it was given to me 2 years ago, and even though yes they are known to be monogamous I still dont see how that is reached without some degree of fighting between the males over the females, as Sarah says we see it it in the wild all the time so unless there is away you could force the pairing up I still dont see how it can be acheived without upset for you or the ducks

    mo x
    Posted 1 year ago #

  11. Ghent
    Member

    Well today has been a very sad day. One my mallard ducklings got killed by a raccoon over night. Fortunetly I trapped the raccoon and relocated it .

    George

    George
    Posted 1 year ago #

  12. m40mo
    Administrator

    that is sad news George, thats why over here ours are locked away over night, lets hope there are no more racoons about

    mo x
    Posted 1 year ago #

  13. Katydid
    Member

    Oh George, so sorry. We have foxes and badgers to contend with so, as Mo says, most of us shut our birds into secure accomodation over night.

    I'm sorry the advice you had was a bit confused over the number of girls for your boys. We all have different experiences.

    I keep call ducks and they are probably more closely related to mallards than most ducks(In fact I have one mallard girl whose mate is one of my call drakes.)and I have only a couple more girls than boys and they are fine. There will always be a bit of argy bargy but they will sort themselves out.

    I would look to have between 3 and 6 girls to go with your boys. Also don't worry too much about age. Just don't get girls that are a lot younger than the boys, they will be too young for the boys attentions.

    I do hope that all goes well with your remaining boys.
    KT

    No holidays, too many birds.
    Posted 1 year ago #

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