Why is my male duck trying to mate with my chickens?

[Donnigan]

I have one male Pekin duck and 2 females. He started chasing my hens when he was a duckling. He would lower his neck and slowly chase them away. Then he started biting them and pulling out feathers! Now he will chase them around the yard until i go out and get him! About a week ago he started trying to mate with them! I really cant have him running across the yard to attack a chicken that wasn't even bothering him! He is usually scared of us but this morning he was right by our feet trying to mate with the chickens so i know he is getting worse! We put him in a chicken tractor this morning. He tries to chase them through the fence! He is also REALLY rough with my female ducks. Why is he doing this and how can I make him stop? Should i find a new home for him? Thanks

 

[sourland]

Drakes tend to be rather hypersexual. He may or may not settle down as he matures. Drakes mating chicken hens can cause problems - drakes have a penis roosters do not. The chicken hens reproductive tract is not made for having objects inserted. Keep him away from your chicken hens.

 

[Donnigan]

Drakes tend to be rather hypersexual.  He may or may not settle down as he matures.  Drakes mating chicken hens can cause problems - drakes have a penis roosters do not.  The chicken hens reproductive tract is not made for having objects inserted.    Keep him away from your chicken hens.

Should i find him a new home then? Thanks

 

[pattyhen]

I had one duck that was like that. I had to keep him in a pen away from the chickens all of his life. He never changed. Just a question for you was he brooded with chicks when he was little?

 

[drumstick diva]

Drakes are rough period in breeding. They prefer to breed (duck hens) on water and it's common for them to breed and then other drakes to breed the same female often drowning her in the effort.

Duck anatomy differs greatly from chickens - as Sourland had told you. A Drake can certainly damage /kill chicken hens. I would either dump him or make sure he cannot get to your chickens. There is no way he will learn NOT to attack chicken hens.

 

[Donnigan]

I had one duck that was like that.  I had to keep him in a pen away from the chickens all of his life.  He never changed.  Just a question for you was he brooded with chicks when he was little?  

Yes he was!

 

[CritterHenATX]

I am in a similar situation. We picked up three Peking ducklings (2 survived) with our batch of 7 pullets in March. They were brooded together and were even in the same coop until 2 weeks ago where we moved the chickens into the main coop with our other 4 (1 rooster, 3 hens). The move went smoothly even though the "babies" are still a little bit outcast from the cool kids. The Ducks were not sexed and we were hopeful they were female. About a week ago the dreaded drake feather showed up and one of the ducks has started chasing the babies (they are nearly 4 months but we still call them the babies) and tries to mate with them. He even tries to nip at me. I chase him off the girls and will carry him around in the morning to give them some space but I fear we will need to get rid of them. All our birds free-range through out our yard and the greenbelt behind our house so I can't always keep an eye on them. The ducks have a nice pond to swim in but its difficult to pen it in as it's quite large and close to our deck. So not sure what to do. Should I try to get a couple of female ducks? From what I've been reading it may not be enough and he may still prefer the chickens he is bonded to. I read about castration too but that procedure is very invasive and doesn't seem to work for behavior modification. Suggestions are appreciated, especially ones that allow us to keep the ducks. Thank you.

 

[Donnigan]

I have decided to find him a new home

 

[Duck Drover]

When we sell ducklings I caution people about brooding them with chicks because I have heard of drakes killing chicken hens by trying to mate with them. It is better if you keep ducklings with ducklings only.

Also, we have bantam ducks and huge large fowl chickens but the drakes have never shown an interest in our chicken hens because they stick to their own kind.

 

[pattyhen]

I think when you brood ducklings and chicks togeather it messes up something in their identity. I've never had a problem with my male ducks trying to mate with my chickens that were not brooded with chicks.

I'm glad you found him another home I don't think he would ever leave the chickens alone. From my experience mine never did change.