Advice please - my Indian runner drake is only favouring 1 of our 4 females!

[Farmer Trish]

I had 2 Indian runner drakes happily for over a year until one got taken by a dingo. I then got 1 more female and they lived very happily together for a while until I managed to get 3 more females a few weeks ago. After a week or so of them getting used to each other through a fence, I let them out together. The drake of course went straight for 1 of the new females & mated with her. She wasn't happy to begin with but since that one time she's been very flirty and happy around the drake. She's settled in ith the other female and the 3 of them go down to the dam.

However, the drake is now only interested in the 2 other new females and only mates with them (1 in particular). And unfortunately, they are not happy and are constantly running away from him and are loosing neck feathers. I've been locking them up at night to get a break from him but its not getting any better when they're out during the day. Am I doing the right thing separating them or should I separate them totally (day & night) for a while? I would have thought 4 females to 1 drake would have been an ok ratio. Incidentally though, I've never seen him mate at all with the first female! Thanks

 

[Miss Lydia]

I had 2 Indian runner drakes happily for over a year until one got taken by a dingo. I then got 1 more female and they lived very happily together for a while until I managed to get 3 more females a few weeks ago. After a week or so of them getting used to each other through a fence, I let them out together. The drake of course went straight for 1 of the new females & mated with her. She wasn't happy to begin with but since that one time she's been very flirty and happy around the drake. She's settled in ith the other female and the 3 of them go down to the dam.

However, the drake is now only interested in the 2 other new females and only mates with them (1 in particular). And unfortunately, they are not happy and are constantly running away from him and are loosing neck feathers. I've been locking them up at night to get a break from him but its not getting any better when they're out during the day. Am I doing the right thing separating them or should I separate them totally (day & night) for a while? I would have thought 4 females to 1 drake would have been an ok ratio. Incidentally though, I've never seen him mate at all with the first female! Thanks

Sounds like he is trying to let her know he is the dominant one and she has to oblige
whether she likes it or not, I see my drake doing this with a female that runs from him. You might try separating them again like you had it before to help the one especially get her neck feathers back, then just keep trying to intergrate them again, you might try keeping the one female he hasn't mated with in the main group and putting the first one that took to him so well with the one without neck feathers just to give her company. It can be trying at times and being your into spring the hormones are very high right now. Don't know if anything I have suggested will work. just hope you can work it out, Amiga brought in new ducks last year and I am pretty sure she has had to keep them separate from the main flock other than where they can see each other, this is one new drake added. Maybe she'll be able to help ya out.

 

[Amiga]

Welcome to the Duck Forum, Farmer Trish,

I think you are doing as well as you can so far, and your idea about separating them may be the best thing.

Sometimes I feel like my drake would cut his nose off to spite his face, as my mom would have said. He doesn't know when he's got it good.

And my drake is a very good guy. But with Romy during mating season, he just obsessed about her in spite of having his own two girls he arrived with when I adopted the trio.

Once a weird relationship starts, all I have been able to do is separate with a fence, and wait till the hormones calm down a bit.

I remind myself that it is more important to protect a duck that is getting too much attention than to satisfy my drake's every emotional need.

 

[Farmer Trish]

    Sounds like he is trying to let her know he is the dominant one and she has to oblige
  whether she likes it or not, I see my drake doing this with a female that runs from him. You might try separating them again like you had it before to help the one especially get her neck feathers back, then just keep trying to intergrate them again, you might try keeping the one female he hasn't mated with in the main group and putting the first one that took to him so well with the one without neck feathers just to give her company. It can be trying at times and being your into spring the hormones are very high right now. Don't know if anything I have suggested will work. just hope you can work it out, Amiga brought in new ducks last year and I am pretty sure she has had to keep them separate from the main flock other than where they can see each other, this is one new drake added. Maybe she'll be able to help ya out.

 

[Farmer Trish]

Thank you both for your replies. How long does the duck breeding season last for?
Trish

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you both for your replies. How long does the duck breeding season last for?
Trish

Spring till fall here in mountains of NC they actually started early this year because we warmed up faster so they have been finished earlier too. Thank goodness