Aggressive Mating Drakes, Picking on New Ducklings

[hm23]

Hello!

Last year we hatched ducks who are now a year old. We had 7, but two were taken by foxes last summer leaving us with only one female and four drakes over the winter. At first there was no issues, however since mating season has started the drakes have become so aggressive with mating her that they broke her blood feathers and we had to separate them until we could add more hens. We now have 8 more ducks we have introduced which are about 12 weeks old now. The aggressive drakes have been attacking the younger ones scrathing up their sides causing them to bleed and two or more drakes at a time try to mount the younger ducks. We want to avoid having to rehome the drakes, but we have tried everything we can think of and no improvements. We have kept them in separate pens and not allowed them together at all, we have the drakes sleep separate from the younger ducks, nothing has helped. We know that the ratio of drakes to hens was not correct when we first got ducks however, our ducks that were taken by fox were female and we could not get more females until the winter had ended here. Any advice appreciated!

 

[AgnesGray]

Adding new ducklings, we don't integrate them with drakes until the new ducklings are laying age. Not only at night, but also during the day. In the spring especially, the drakes are more amorous and can injure immature ducklings.

Do you have a way to keep them completely separate?

 

[Isadora]

They really need to be separated if rehoming is not an option.
The drinks are already causing damage and if they're trying to mate with the girls that aren't old enough to lay eggs they can hurt them internally.

 

[hm23]

Adding new ducklings, we don't integrate them with drakes until the new ducklings are laying age. Not only at night, but also during the day. In the spring especially, the drakes are more amorous and can injure immature ducklings.

Do you have a way to keep them completely separate?

We have a large pond that they all swim in during the day and then we keep them separate at night time. Do you have any tips on separating them during the day?

 

[Isadora]

We have a large pond that they all swim in during the day and then we keep them separate at night time. Do you have any tips on separating them during the day?

They would literally have to be in a separate enclosure.

 

[AgnesGray]

We have a large pond that they all swim in during the day and then we keep them separate at night time. Do you have any tips on separating them during the day?

I'm sure they love the pond! But like Isadora, I would put them in a separate enclosure. You can put a kiddie pool in the enclosure for them if you'd like until they are old enough to be in with the drakes.

I'd definitely separate them out completely though. Maybe let one group on the pond one day and another group on the pond the next day.

 

[hm23]

Thank you for tips! Hopefully that will work, I don't want any of them to be injured. This is our first mating season with adult drakes so we are new to this!

 

[AgnesGray]

Thank you for tips! Hopefully that will work, I don't want any of them to be injured. This is our first mating season with adult drakes so we are new to this!

You're welcome! It will get easier when they get older.

Are your ducklings females?

 

[hm23]

You're welcome! It will get easier when they get older.

Are your ducklings female7

7 of the ducklings are female, we still have too many drakes for the amount of females that we have so we are trying to decide what the best option for that issue will be as well

 

[Isadora]

7 of the ducklings are female, we still have too many drakes for the amount of females that we have so we are trying to decide what the best option for that issue will be as well

Rehoming some of the drakes will make everything easier.