Are my drakes… flirting with each other?

[KathiQuacks]

For context, I used to have a mixed sex flock, but recently gave away all my girls and kept the boys.
Now, after a few days with no girls, my drakes seem to be... flirting with each other? They’ve been head-bobbing at each other like crazy! Way more than when the girls were still around. I’ve also caught them doing courtship behaviors together, like ‘head up, tail up, swim away.’ No girls in sight. Is this flirting, or are they just really happy? Very curious!
I could try to catch a video of them doing this behavior, but I doubt the quality would be very good

 

[sourland]

It sounds like courting behavior. Keep an eye on them as it may escalate to attempts to mate. Sometimes in all drake flocks, drakes will team up and attempt to breed the smaller/weaker drakes.

 

[Isadora]

Girls or no, they will still have their hormones and the urge to mate. Hopefully it doesn't escalate to them actually trying it with each other.

 

[KathiQuacks]

It sounds like courting behavior. Keep an eye on them as it may escalate to attempts to mate. Sometimes in all drake flocks, drakes will team up and attempt to breed the smaller/weaker drakes.

I’ll definitely keep an eye on it then. I haven’t seen any attempts to mate yet. Is there anything I should do if they try and mate with each other? Can it be prevented at all?

 

[sourland]

It sometimes becomes necessary to separate drakes during the breeding season if they target one member of their flock.

 

[KathiQuacks]

@sourland It seems your prediction has come true.. I just watched our two most dominant drakes attempt to mate with our weakest drake I don’t have a second duck house, just the one, so I’m not sure how I would separate them. I suppose I could put up a divider in the house..
How do I go about letting them free range? Will this behavior happen again next year? Will the mating kill my weak drake?
@ruthhope You said you had an all-drake flock. I was hoping you might have some insight too, if you don’t mind.

 

[sourland]

The stronger drakes are capable of injuring/killing the smaller drake. I would definitely find him a new home or remove him from the flock.

 

[KathiQuacks]

The stronger drakes are capable of injuring/killing the smaller drake. I would definitely find him a new home or remove him from the flock.

If I were to give him away, won’t my two boys just go after someone else?

 

[sourland]

They might, but at least he would still be alive. Drakes are very sexually aggressive, and sometimes must be separated from one another..