Silly boys

[Yrwomn]

I got five barnyard ducklings six months ago. Well, just my luck they are all drakes. They get along just fine but I’m really wanting eggs. How much headache would it be to bring in the ladies now that they are older? I would probably aim for older ladies as I don’t want to do youngins at this time. Would five be enough or should up The ratio?

 

[ruthhope]

I got five barnyard ducklings six months ago. Well, just my luck they are all drakes. They get along just fine but I’m really wanting eggs. How much headache would it be to bring in the ladies now that they are older? I would probably aim for older ladies as I don’t want to do youngins at this time. Would five be enough or should up The ratio?

Lovely boys!!

Im sorry to say but you will need at least 20 females if you keep all your boys.

An alternative would be to have two separate flocks with say four females and one drake in one flock, and your four remaining drakes housed completely separate from the females

 

[BelovedBirds]

I got five barnyard ducklings six months ago. Well, just my luck they are all drakes. They get along just fine but I’m really wanting eggs. How much headache would it be to bring in the ladies now that they are older? I would probably aim for older ladies as I don’t want to do youngins at this time. Would five be enough or should up The ratio?

I'd strongly suggest having two flocks, as you'd need many hens to keep a safe ratio. Drakes can be very hormonal, and can injur the girls if there aren't enough.
A good ratio would be a minimum of 4 hens per drake. As @ruthhope has said, you'd need at least 20 hens if you want to have the drakes with them.

You could get 4 hens, and put one of the drakes in with them if you wanted. Or 8 hens and move two drakes in- keeping the other boys separate in their own enclosure, or rehoming the extra boys instead.

But the absolute simplest option is to get as many hens as you'd like, And keep them in their own pen. That way the boys and girls are separate, and you get eggs, without having to part with your drakes.

 

[Miss Lydia]

You could also rotate each drake into a pen with the females say weekly that way each drake gets to have some fun before moving the next drake in.

 

[Colley12]

Cute boys!! Agree with above posts!

Also to add...warms my heart to know that I'm not the only one dealing with muddy mess right now...anyone else ready for winter to be over the struggle is real!

 

[Yrwomn]

Lovely boys!!

Im sorry to say but you will need at least 20 females if you keep all your boys.

An alternative would be to have two separate flocks with say four females and one drake in one flock, and your four remaining drakes housed completely separate from the females

That’s what I was afraid of. But who’s to be the lucky guy?!?!

 

[Yrwomn]

Cute boys!! Agree with above posts!

Also to add...warms my heart to know that I'm not the only one dealing with muddy mess right now...anyone else ready for winter the struggle is real!

Right? These boys love the mud but the chickens are quite done with it!

 

[ruthhope]

That’s what I was afraid of. But who’s to be the lucky guy?!?!

As @Miss Lydia wrote "You could also rotate each drake into a pen with the females say weekly that way each drake gets to have some fun before moving the next drake in."