Advice for dealing with jerk drakes?

[lovesgliders]

I have three Mallards (two drakes, one hen) that I got in June. We just last month added to our flock two young Welsh Harlequin hens.

Intros went so smoothly and everything was totally fine for two weeks, then all of a sudden the drakes decided they hate the new hens. They chase them away from food and water, and when they were all shut in for the night a few nights ago they ripped some feathers out of one of the hens.

Eating them is not an option. All my ducks are dear pets. I am really hoping there is something I can do. Can I separate the drakes, or bring them inside, and kind of break their mindset, the way you'd do with a broody hen?

The Welshies will soon be much larger than the Mallards (they already are slightly larger); will this fix things?

Will adding new/more ducks shake up the pecking order? (if so, how many and what sexes? I am wondering if another drake would put them in their place and then be kind to all the females?)

This has been such a headache. Thank you for any and all advice.

 

[veronicasmom]

Definitely think you need more hens. I now have 7 hens and one drake and it is wonderful, he can't possibly keep up with tormenting all of the girls and me too!!!! LOL. He is a pretty mellow boy most of the time anyway, but that ratio really makes things easy. When I had him and three girls, he was a PITB to the newest one, but now when I added the 4 newest ones, he just can't be as much of a jerk

 

[Kevin565]

They can still be establishing a pecking order also spring has hormones in overdrive. I'd give it another week or two then either separate the drakes or rehome them. I'd also suggest still considering adding more hens

 

[sourland]

Part of the problem may be that you have two sexually mature drakes and only one hen. I would separate the drakes from the hens until the juveniles mature. I would guess that it is a misplaced mating situaion raher than sheer aggression.

 

[dukzzz]

there hormones should calm down after a month.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My young drake is so testosterone driven that he even climbs in the nest box with his girls while they are trying to lay an egg, good grief, I had to bring him in the house so they could have a bit of privacy..