5 drakes to 7 ducks-help!

[HolyDiverDucks]

Hello! I've been lurking BYC since before I started raising some Rouen ducklings for family but finally decided it's time to post about an important question.

Long story short, our 6 straight run Rouen Ducklings are now 9 weeks old and we have a ratio of 5 drakes to 1 female (terrible luck!!). I've been solely raising them and making sure they receive everything they need but they are not technically my ducks. I rely on their actual owners, family members of mine, to make the big decisions. I've managed to convince them to purchase more females and explained the usual ratio of males to females needing to be much much much higher (3-4 per drake I've read). I have tried to convince them to re-home or sell some drakes but they are too attached to them all. They are willing to buy 6 more females for a total of 12 ducks.

How many females can we get away with having at minimum without their health and stress levels being dangerous? Will 5 males to 7 females be enough? I was suggesting perhaps Pekin females for the size difference hoping that it may help. Please be honest, I am willing to continue to fight to sell some drakes for the ducks' health if need be but I could use some opinions to help back up my concerns.

Thanks!

 

[Hybridchucks]

sorry, but i think is too little females....

 

[Hybridchucks]

it also depends on the nature of the drakes......how do they act...

 

[HolyDiverDucks]

sorry, but i think is too little females....

This is what I'm afraid of.

I wonder if I could convince them to sell two for a ratio of 3 drakes to 7 females. Would this be acceptable? It's hard to tell what their natures are in regards to aggression/mating since they aren't showing much of that yet. We do have one drake that bites the others a lot but not specifically the female.

 

[Hybridchucks]

that would be ok i think, i only have two khaki hens so I've never had a drake ....

 

[chickens really]

Once they become sexually mature the Drakes will fight and possibly over a single Hen and then they could possibly injure or even kill her....I think you have a lot of convincing to do....

 

[Hybridchucks]

2x

 

[Birdydeb]

X3 I have 5 females to 1 drake and it is just enough so far. I cannot even imagine how rough it would be for my girls if there were less.
That is just way too many drakes. I feel for you... tell them mature drakes can be merciless....mine tried to kill my grown goose and it was not pretty.

 

[Hybridchucks]

a GROWN goose!!!!!??????

 

[Birdydeb]

Yes, a mature goose, she is a Tufted Buff and lost her mate last year. He terrorized her and I had to break it up. I thought he was trying to mate her until I realized he wouldn't even let her out of the duck house and then I caught them with her backed into a corner screaming bloody murder and he had her by the neck shaking her for all he was worth. HORRIBLE. I LOVE that goose. Needless to say I separated them and immediately built her a pen that runs parallel to the duck pen so she can still see her duck girlfriends. Remember this was a medium size goose who thinks she is a duck....and she is very meek and mild.