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Farming Friends Forum » Ducks

1. duskhunter
   Member

   My 12 girls have been making overtuers to the drakes today so I have allowed them all in together again as the drakes have been separated since the drowning of Deirdre and Dulcie.

   I stayed with them for an hour to make sure there was no foul play and have since been checking and they have all settled well.

   Are they pairing early or breeding late? Having said that it is the girls that are doing all the displaying. We haven't had any eggs for weeks now I wonder if it will make them want to lay again.

   Posted 10 months ago #

2. campbell ridge
   Administrator

   Hi, I expect they will start laying again as they are back with a flock so will be more relaxed with the drakes watching over them.
   My two Drakes are quite calm at the moment and all are together as one flock but anyone who knows me, knows that my drakes will fight at any given opportunity so I think the "rutting" season has slowed down. (Gordon has lost a lot of his feathers so I suspect this has taken him off his peak fitness level.)
   I am really sorry but I can't remember the reason your two ducks drowned. Was it due to both drakes wanting to mate with them or were they moulting so not so waterproof on water?

   Sarah L

   Posted 10 months ago #

3. m40mo
   Administrator

   well girls the calendar says August ie summer but we all know its more like autumn so maybe the drakes have been fooled, ive been thinking of trying mine together again soon but so busy in the house at the moment dont have time to keep my eye on them as much as i'd like to x

   mo x

   Posted 10 months ago #

4. duskhunter
   Member

   One of the drakes, Donald, mated the ducks for too long in the water, he wouldn't let her come up for air too often. We think this is what happened as we saw a 'near miss' the previous day when Deirdre finally got free and wobbled and staggered once on the floating duck house. I don't think she could have got out of the pond now that the water level is down as we have a leak - goodness knows where.

   Her friend Dulcie was found on the pond dead in the same way completely unmarked so we separated the drakes and have had no more problems. Now that they are together again I am keeping a close eye on them but there is no sign of any mating the drakes are not interested even in going in with them at night which they used to. Silly things put themselves to bed last night in their old run which is attached to the outside of the house the ducks sleep in at night so they can hear each other.

   Posted 10 months ago #

5. duskhunter
   Member

   I notice I posted this one month ago when all was calm, well, not any more. The drakes have decided it is still mating season and some of the ducks are losing the feathers at the back of their necks again so they have been seperated for a little longer. I am worried about the drakes drowning the ducks too but they hate being apart and I hate to see them trying to get to each other.

   It seems some members have a quiet time of it with ducks and drakes and some find their drakes are active or 'practising' year round. We have 7 drakes to 13 females but when we only had two drakes things weren't any quieter.

   I don't want to keep them apart year round it seems pointless having the drakes if they can't mix as one flock out of season.

   Posted 9 months ago #

6. Mama
   Member

   Hormones are dreadful for ducks but don't understand why ,when you had only two drakes things were not better as to me that is an ideal situation with 13 females .Parting is the only way for me and have done it in the past not great but needs must for the birds .Think most of us have done it and still do .You don't have to keep them apart year round ,just for the worst time of the breeding season .Mama

   Goose Girl

   Posted 9 months ago #

7. campbell ridge
   Administrator

   Yes, two drakes is one too many.
   There IS no point having drakes unless you want to breed unfortunately and you may have to decide to either pass them on to someone who wants them for ornamental purposes, keep them as a separate group well away from the females completely, or do what a few of us do and keep them apart for the spring/summer/aut season.

   Sarah L

   Posted 8 months ago #

8. duskhunter
   Member

   Well, I have kept them apart as soon as I realised one of the drakes had drowned two female ducks by mating them on the pond without allowing them up for air. No more pond deaths but now I thought breeding season was finished, obviously not according to the ducks.

   I read that the male anatomy doesn't actually work out of breeding season but I wonder if that is when it is quite cold in the winter? It is still working but they are together again and quieter so I guess it is just a matter of their hormones becoming less active as the season moves on.

   I find it really difficult to pass the ducks on so think that if I keep them apart during breeding season they can go together the rest of the year.

   I did offer a drake to a friend whose ageing female muscovy had lost her mate but she wants another muscovy to keep her company and can't find one in the Plymouth area yet. I've never kept muscovy's has anyone of here kept them with other breeds?

   Posted 8 months ago #

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