Pekin ducks mating for the first time

[duck rookie]

My pekin ducks laid eggs at 4-5 months old.. after reading some posts.. who knows what sex are my ducks. I thought I had a male and female (one on top, one on bottom) however, my "male" duck is the loudest and protects the "female" I started getting eggs last week and have gotten one almost everyday. I find them in the morning on the bottom of the coup and they aren't warm. They are cold, so I know that they aren't sitting on them.

 

[flockman]

My pekins are 16 weeks old and their hormones are raging. The drake gets so excited that he tries to mate the geese if they get in the pool during or right after I fill them. As soon as he tries it the geese nip him and chase him out of the pool. I thought chickens were horny until I've seen the ducks. Who knows what the geese will be like when they start. I can't wait for the ducks to start laying.

 

[Kathbmcclure]

We are down to 3 ducks now- 2 female and one male. I can't get over the difference. So quiet and calm, where before it was non-stop mating. I miss having 5 though, so I'll add a couple more females I bet. Any opinions on breeds? I love my pekins, but this would be an opportunity to branch out and try a khaki campbell or welsh harlequin...

 

[ducklucky]

"They" say Pekins will mate with anything, even chickens, so don't be too surprised. They are horny devils, the females are just as bad as the males, especially when they are coming into that age. I've seen up to 6 on top of each other, they just don't know what to do with it all. Males on males, females on females, they don't care. I too hope they will settle down a bit, so far no one has gotten hurt, but the poor one on the bottom darn near drowns. Just keep an eye on them and break it up if need be, they should be fine.

 

[mrskrebs]

I'm reading all these posts and I feel horrible for my Pekin Drakes (two of them). Poor lonely guys I'm trying to re-home them so they will have some girls to be with Love all the stories here!

 

[Kathbmcclure]

Voodoozombie:
My three drakes seem moderately clueless when it comes to my two ladies. Generally, one of my boys will pick a girl to harass and won't let up until she gets angry. The other two seem content to mill around the yard, keeping to themselves. I do notice that they will take turns, but the girls never seem exhausted. If ducks were capable of chivalry, I might consider that to be what the other two boys were doing...I thought about adding a female to the family but they seem to be just fine!!

Your ducks sound like they have personalities worth sharing! You and I are both in the Atlanta area, so if you wind up with ducklings, I'd like a couple of yours!

 

[Pyxis]

We are down to 3 ducks now- 2 female and one male. I can't get over the difference. So quiet and calm, where before it was non-stop mating. I miss having 5 though, so I'll add a couple more females I bet. Any opinions on breeds? I love my pekins, but this would be an opportunity to branch out and try a khaki campbell or welsh harlequin...

Oooh, welsh harlequins for sure! I currently have a welshie drake, and he's such a sweetheart. I got him when he was already three weeks old, but he would still climb into my lap and let me pet him. Now that he's grown, he's still the sweetest duck I have - even sweeter than the pekin duck that I raised from less than a week old. He'll come over and sit next to me whenever I'm in the yard, and he brings my mallard drake and the girls with him, so even though they're more skittish, I still get to interact with them. And, he's such a gentleman with the ladies. I've never seen him be rough. Really a great bird. Plus, welsh harlequins are known for their calm disposition - metzer says that theirs are even calmer than their pekins, and I'd have to agree. Females also lay just as well as khaki campbells, because the breed was actually developed from off-colored khaki campbells, but they have better mothering instincts and are less nervous. Also they can be much prettier. That's my opinion, but I might be just a tad biased I have some hatching eggs on the way so I can get a few more myself!

 

[ducklucky]

Too bad you are so far away, I have extra females for you, they are just coming on laying at 18 weeks. Have a half a dozen or so that will need homes. Healthy, happy and horny! Two are laying so far, and caught my favorite BillieJo (she's got a HUGE orange bill LOL and she loves me like I'm her momma) trying to build a nest this AM, in the box primping the hay and so forth. Maybe she has mated with the drake or just following instinct. Don't know, there ae 12 girls, so it's hard to see who's doing what, but was pleased to see it, maybe she'll be a good mom. Anyway, still 2 eggs a day, some huge, some medium, different every day. Interesting creatures. It POURED here all day yesterday, wind blew, they were so happy to be out in it, down at the bottom of the hill where the rain creates a little streamlet, spent hours there, were exhausted, fat and happy when they came home, it's a beautiful thing

 

[Kathbmcclure]

Oooh, welsh harlequins for sure! I currently have a welshie drake, and he's such a sweetheart. I got him when he was already three weeks old, but he would still climb into my lap and let me pet him. Now that he's grown, he's still the sweetest duck I have - even sweeter than the pekin duck that I raised from less than a week old. He'll come over and sit next to me whenever I'm in the yard, and he brings my mallard drake and the girls with him, so even though they're more skittish, I still get to interact with them. And, he's such a gentleman with the ladies. I've never seen him be rough. Really a great bird. Plus, welsh harlequins are known for their calm disposition - metzer says that theirs are even calmer than their pekins, and I'd have to agree. Females also lay just as well as khaki campbells, because the breed was actually developed from off-colored khaki campbells, but they have better mothering instincts and are less nervous. Also they can be much prettier. That's my opinion, but I might be just a tad biased I have some hatching eggs on the way so I can get a few more myself!

I love hearing this! I've read up on them a good bit, and they sounded like the sweetest ducks. You are the first person I've heard from though, so I'm very apply to hear it confirmed. What a great duck!

 

[Scott Barr]

Thanks so much ... quacks are very similar but who knows ... not really into them for mating but will take what we get as they are soooo very great to have as pets.