HotChickenLady
In the Brooder
Hello,
Looking for advice on rehoming problem drakes, what people's experiences have been (is it successful for you and the new home).
I've kept pet chickens for 7 years in a backyard flock and a few years ago decided to try ducks. It's been a harsher learning curve than I anticipated and has not gone all that well... between incorrect male/female ratios and realizing I don't have the right property for it.
My birds were sexed incorrectly and I have two drakes and one female hen. They actually get along very well and over-mating has only been an issue sometimes (early spring mostly). However, the female duck is extremely territorial with the chickens and I have to be diligent at keeping them all separate as the drakes will try to mate with them (kill them). The ducks spend all day stalking the chickens through the fence, it's very annoying. My property is not big enough to keep them out of eyesight from one-another and I'm constantly worried my fencing will fail while I'm at work. I don't have the right space (or desire) to get more female ducks and create a large flock. My neighbors would probably complain anyway!
My question is... is it likely the drakes will always go after chickens now (even if there are enough duck hens in the flock)? Will they continue this behavior in a new home? I'm worried about passing my problem on to someone else and putting their chickens at risk. People seem to keep ducks and chickens together all the time (including drakes) with no issue. I may have found a home but the person keeps all their poultry together (big barn and fields). I'm not sure what to tell them about my drakes. Last summer I thought I found a taker but when I explained the issues I was experiencing the person backed out (understandably). I don't really want to have to take the ducks back if it doesn't work out because of disease transfer.
Should I be rehoming all 3 birds together? Or split them up a better idea? Also, I'm debating on whether my problems will be fixed if I just rehome one drake (I'd be left with one male and one female, no competition... maybe they will chill out?). With the drakes not around, the female is a lot better with the chickens. I could also get her a female friend and rehome the two drakes.... But I wonder if she'd be a lot happier in a big flock of ducks anyway.
Suggestions welcome! TIA
Looking for advice on rehoming problem drakes, what people's experiences have been (is it successful for you and the new home).
I've kept pet chickens for 7 years in a backyard flock and a few years ago decided to try ducks. It's been a harsher learning curve than I anticipated and has not gone all that well... between incorrect male/female ratios and realizing I don't have the right property for it.
My birds were sexed incorrectly and I have two drakes and one female hen. They actually get along very well and over-mating has only been an issue sometimes (early spring mostly). However, the female duck is extremely territorial with the chickens and I have to be diligent at keeping them all separate as the drakes will try to mate with them (kill them). The ducks spend all day stalking the chickens through the fence, it's very annoying. My property is not big enough to keep them out of eyesight from one-another and I'm constantly worried my fencing will fail while I'm at work. I don't have the right space (or desire) to get more female ducks and create a large flock. My neighbors would probably complain anyway!
My question is... is it likely the drakes will always go after chickens now (even if there are enough duck hens in the flock)? Will they continue this behavior in a new home? I'm worried about passing my problem on to someone else and putting their chickens at risk. People seem to keep ducks and chickens together all the time (including drakes) with no issue. I may have found a home but the person keeps all their poultry together (big barn and fields). I'm not sure what to tell them about my drakes. Last summer I thought I found a taker but when I explained the issues I was experiencing the person backed out (understandably). I don't really want to have to take the ducks back if it doesn't work out because of disease transfer.
Should I be rehoming all 3 birds together? Or split them up a better idea? Also, I'm debating on whether my problems will be fixed if I just rehome one drake (I'd be left with one male and one female, no competition... maybe they will chill out?). With the drakes not around, the female is a lot better with the chickens. I could also get her a female friend and rehome the two drakes.... But I wonder if she'd be a lot happier in a big flock of ducks anyway.
Suggestions welcome! TIA
