7 month old ducks trying to mate with 7 month old chick???

[gladimsaved]

Am I crazy?? Please tell me!!!! We have 2 male and 1 female duck and 4 hens and 2 roosters...HOWEVER they were ALL sold as females!! :-( We raised them all together as chicks for 5 or so months. I'd even put the ducks in the coop with the chicks at night, I'd withhold food and water during that time. The past month it's been pretty warm at nights (70F) so I kept the ducks locked in the run to sleep...not in the coop.

So...we HAD a mallard looking duck. He was being 'frisky' with our sweetest chick, however we thought he was going to kill her. He'd grab her back and she'd scream (the worst sound ever) and he'd have a mouth of her feathers. (At the time we didn't know the 'frisky' theory) This goes off and on a couple of days. The last straw...my husband saw the duck take the chick by her neck, and slam her to the ground and hold her there as she was screaming. He thought he was going to kill her...and NONE of this was 'cute.' We were scared.

We got rid of that duck as we had no clue what was happening. A few days later...our Pekin duck started going after the same chick!!! I was floored! The chick isn't sick, she's the most sweetest of them all, except now she's scared to pieces of the ducks, and now our dogs, who she's been perfect with. The Pekin is still here.......as of right now.....and he doesn't constantly do this, but he gets her a few times a day.

The other duck must be a female, as she never bothers the chicks, and the Pekin gets her sometimes too. She has a big poof of 'hair' on the top of her head, and he'll grab ahold of that, but she doesn't make a noise. Our local feed store was perplexed by this situation and he said to rub Vicks on her back. Did that for a couple of days and all was fine....not anymore.

We have a coop, a run, and 2 acres they can free range on. We have a big pond, but the ducks don't want anything to do with it, so we got a baby pool......they love that. This is my first attempt with chicks and ducks...I don't want to lose the Pekin, cause the 'poof head' duck'd be by herself, but I think she thinks she's a chick anyway??!??

PLEASSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEE help me!!!!! I love them all so much, but I can't keep chasing the duck as he's chasing the chick as she's running her legs off. THANK YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!

 

[1muttsfan]

You need to separate your hens from any male duck. ASAP.

 

[21hens-incharge]

To elaborate as to why they must be separated....

Male ducks have a penis. Male chickens do not. Chicken hens are not designed to be mated that way.

Yes it can kill them.

My Peking drake was horrid to the female ducks. I am not a fan of that breed.

Separate species = separate pens.

 

[1muttsfan]

Read through these threads:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/over-breeding-caused-injury-on-hen.843253/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/over-breeding.336910/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/drake-mating-attacking-my-hens.549923/

 

[gladimsaved]

To elaborate as to why they must be separated....

Male ducks have a penis. Male chickens do not. Chicken hens are not designed to be mated that way.

Yes it can kill them.

My Peking drake was horrid to the female ducks. I am not a fan of that breed.

Separate species = separate pens.

To elaborate as to why they must be separated....

Male ducks have a penis. Male chickens do not. Chicken hens are not designed to be mated that way.

Yes it can kill them.

My Peking drake was horrid to the female ducks. I am not a fan of that breed.

Separate species = separate pens.

 

[gladimsaved]

What kind of chick do you have as your avatar?? THAT is the one we have that the duck keeps going after!!!!!!

 

[gladimsaved]

To elaborate as to why they must be separated....

Male ducks have a penis. Male chickens do not. Chicken hens are not designed to be mated that way.

Yes it can kill them.

My Peking drake was horrid to the female ducks. I am not a fan of that breed.

Separate species = separate pens.

I don't understand how to separate them, as they all free range. The chicks have a coop, and ducks stay in run on the ground at night. This is my first time with chicks and ducks. Thanks!

 

[gladimsaved]

What kind of chick do you have as your avatar?? THAT is the one we have that the duck keeps going after!!!!!!

Sorry!! That is for 21-HensIn Charge

 

[Then I Will]

I don't understand how to separate them, as they all free range. The chicks have a coop, and ducks stay in run on the ground at night. This is my first time with chicks and ducks. Thanks!

Hey, just wanted to share my past experience with chickens and ducks as we kept them in the same pen. I was unaware up until today that Drakes have penises.
It sounds like you don't have a man in charge in your hen house or he would spur the snot out of the drakes.
I kept buff orphingtons at the time and had three roos who would gang up on the ducks. One, particularly wiry and fiery Orphington, Popcorn (bless him) would "ride" the ducks around the pen. He would grab the neck feathers and stick his feet into their backs and ride them around the pen until he came off with a beakful of feathers. Any duck that stole food from, or bullied any of the hens gave Popcorn a ride. Fergusson, our larger rooster, had the flog them away approach and would back up Popcorn anytime a hen was even looked at wrong.
When they free ranged, the ducks would head to the creek and the chickens would take to another part of the property.
I'm sorry to hear that one hen in particular is being bullied, but ducks are pretty tough creatures. I would favor the hen and try to keep her as safe as possible. If you can't have roosters to protect the hens while free-ranging, you may want to try penning up the ducks instead of free ranging them.

Even though ducks may be smaller than some chicken breeds, they are certainly heavier and meaner! Otherwise, more likely to harm your hens than your chickens are to hard them- from my experience.
I hope you get it sorted out!

 

[21hens-incharge]

What kind of chick do you have as your avatar?? THAT is the one we have that the duck keeps going after!!!!!!

Me?

That was my pretty Easter Egger. Her name was Grandma.

If it were my flock I would build a second enclosure for the ducks. I would alternate who is out. Say Monday is chickens and Tuesday is ducks and so on.
That or get rid of drakes keeping only one with no less then 5 females.

Now then you do still have to many roosters and your hens will still be over mated. The recommended ratio is 10 hens to 1 roo.


Time to get more girlies!!!! (Encouraging chicken math is a hobby of mine)