Domesticated mallards

[featherfooted]

Do domesticated mallards pair up for breeding or do they act like other domesticated breeds where you can have a drake with several hens? I thinking of raising some snowy mallards and would like to know how to put them together.

 

[ChickBond 007]

I have 14 at the moment. They do not pair up. One drake to several females.

 

[featherfooted]

Thanks. That's good to know.

 

[Barred Rockstar]

In my experience they do "pair up" in that the drake has a favorite who captures most of his attention. However, this doesn't stop him from making the rounds with the other girls now and then.

 

[featherfooted]

Would it be better to have more than 1 drake? I was thinking about having 4 hens.

 

[ChickBond 007]

One drake will be plenty for 4 hens. But, unlike roosters, mallard drakes won't fight endlessly. Last summer, I had 3 drakes with 5 females. One drake asserted himself as dominate and he got choice of his desires most of the time. The other two were happy to be subordinate, and although they tried to sneak in every once in awhile, they were mostly celebate single boys. This winter, I have 7 & 7, and will have to amend that situation in the spring. Right now, they are warmth in the duck shack.
The good thing about a couple drakes is that if you free range your birds, the males are the watch-guards and allow the females to nest/feed/swim while the males are guarding against predator.
But remember, they are noisy. Factor that into your decisions for ducks. Females are the loudest, males are 'croaky' but constantly talking.

 

[CityChicker]

A lot depends on how you are going to introduce them together. If they are raised in a group together from the time they are ducklings, you can usually be pretty flexible in your drake to duck ratio. That is how most of my groups have been raised and I have never had any problems with drake aggression. I have Mallards in several colors and all of my drakes take on multiple hens. In most of my groups, I have two drakes paired to 4-5 hens total in most pens. I'm sure I could do almost that many per drake if I had the space. I just tend to keep them in groups of six or so because of space and wanting a larger variety.

 

[featherfooted]

The pen that I'm going to have them is is over 200 square feet. I already had other ducks that free range, so these will be in their pen with their own pool and house. I think I may stick with 1 drake for right now.

 

[La Mike]

I have five hens and 3 drakes one breeds and boy what a happy drake he is the other two stay out of it