Recent content by Lori-in-Californa

  1. L

    general drake advice

    At my house the 2 female broodmates acquissed to the drake easily, but not the 5 ducks I added later. That was brute force every time. Based on a sample size of 1, I would say to get 5 or 6 ducks and one drake all in the same litter. Or better yet, get all ducks.
  2. L

    general drake advice

    Nope. Drakes are sexual predators. You need a separate space for mister drake or he will injur the ducks. They don’t protect the flock like a good rooster does.
  3. L

    Is removing the aggressive drake always the best idea?

    After three years I finally culled my sole drake. Still a sexual predator. The yard is peaceful now.
  4. L

    Aggressive Drake

    Cull the drake, and keep only the ducks. I kept my drake for three years and he was still a sexual predator…so I reluctantly culled him. He was totally social and charming with me, and I really liked him: it was a hard decision…but he kept injuring the gurls. Life is better now.
  5. L

    Introducing Ducklings to Drakes

    Drakes will try to mate with the terrified ducklings. It was dreadful to watch. The two ducks that were raised with my drake submitted willingly to his advances, but all five introduced later never really accepted him and it was a brute force thing. Meh! After three years I finally culled the...
  6. L

    What to do with two drakes?

    I had one drake and 7 ducks and my drake was still a sexual predator. He kept injuring the girls, though he was very civil and social with me …so it was very hard for me to cull him. Gave him 3 years and still a predator. :( They all play mate with each other, my gurls mount each other and do...
  7. L

    What are the best and friendliest pet duck breed to own in South Florida?

    Beware- The drake really is a sexual predator. My drake was very interested in interacting with me, civil and talkative, so it was really hard for me to cull him. Gave him 3 years and he was still injuring the girls. It has been peaceful since then… sad but true. I have several different...
  8. L

    Flowers ducks won’t eat?

    Yes ducks eat impatiens, and gardenias, hostas, japanese maples, sea lavender/statice, cotal bells and anything “delicate”. They don’t eat ceanothus, manzanita, bacopa, berry vines or fig leaves. I *think* that deer resistant and duck resistant has a large overlap…and there is more info on...
  9. L

    Duck "proof" plants?

    I find my ducks “nose around” any/all new plants. I have temporary “puppy gates” that I use to protect new plants for the first year. But I’m not trying to feed the ducks, I’m trying to have both an interesting garden and pet ducks. My plumbago is shaped like a mushroom- thin up to the height...
  10. L

    Duck breeds

    It looks like a swedish blue, but without the bluing gene. A flock of swedish will have black, blue and white/speckled. Or it could be a 300, and this duck got the dominant black gene. I had a 300 this color.
  11. L

    keeping chickens out of gardens

    I ordered what my son calls “puppy gates” on amazon. Black metal, 24” high, eight panels wide, with a door. There are several brands. Cost is $35-49. One set will go around a 4’ x 8’ raised planter bed, with some extra length. Keeps my chickens and ducks out. I had a chicken who liked to...
  12. L

    Geese training?

    I read that with drakes (boy ducks) if you carry them under your arm as you walk around you are exherting dominance over him. He can’t move, and you choose where to go, and how long he is under your control. Would this work with a gander? I have one drake with 5 ducks, and he is very mellow...
  13. L

    Keeping geese with chickens

    My ducks and chickens co-exist in my backyard easily. They have seperate coops at night, and free range during the day. Ducks are a bit dominant when I hand feed mealworms, or if they think there might be something cool in a food saucer, but I can wave away the ducks to allow the chickens a...
  14. L

    Feeding a mixed flock cracked corn

    I have four chickens, one drake and five ducks. They all free range all day in my backyard. Chickens put themselves to bed at night in a 3’x3’? two story coop. Ducks get herded into a small one story coop just before I go to bed. Everyone gets along. Ducks tend to stick together, chickens...
  15. L

    I need all the ground cover options for my run

    I live in northern california, which is desert country and I use deep wood shavings. It does not get muddy except for 25 seconds in the winter. I have ducks with deep wood shavings, and again… not muddy. Might be a different story in a different location.
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