At what age does the drake ratio matter?

[TomCahalan]

My khaki campbell and runner drakes weren't fighting when I attempted to cull them all at 8 weeks, one of the runner drakes slipped through though.

Now I have some pekins (mostly male) that I started free-ranging at about five weeks, thinking that they would be big enough to not be bothered by the runner drake. He was pretty aggressive at first but now (almost two weeks later) the pekins are bigger and so the runner drake has almost completely stopped attacking the pekins. My original flock and the pekin flock avoid each other. Just today I noticed the biggest pekin roughing up a few of the others, but nothing too serious.

My question is mainly for future planning. I'm thinking of a situation where I hatch a future flock in the fall. These would be my only birds, 5 drakes and 12 ducks. Then when mating season starts I cull a drake and four of the ducks, setting up four breeding pens, each with a trio. Then I cull the drakes and proceed from there. So during the winter I would have a flock of young adults with a bad ratio. If I time it right I'm hoping that they will be in their breeding pens before the drakes start fighting. How viable is this plan? I prefer to allow my flock(s) to free range as much as possible.

 

[nao57]

Sorry I don't have enough experience to answer this. But its a good question.

They say that they start to give eggs at 4 to 5 months, but depending on breed. So I'm guessing it could be around there? Maybe someone else can tell.

 

[BDutch]

If you want to keep you're ducklings in a natural surrounding during wintertime (cold in Ohio) I think it is not such a great idea to have newborn ducklings in autumn.

 

[nao57]

Oh!

I just realized there's 2 parts to the matter affecting the answer to your question. I'd originally only been thinking about what age the drakes male instincts would be active, and causing them to fight with each other and raise hell with your tribe.

But its also a meat growth issue also!

At supposedly around 2 months I think...(maybe breed affects this also?) the gain in meat from feed growth is much less also.

I think this last part also affects your decision.

Feel free to correct me anyone.

 

[TomCahalan]

They say that they start to give eggs at 4 to 5 months, but depending on breed. So I'm guessing it could be around there? Maybe someone else can tell.

That's my guess and what I'm hoping for, but I'd like confirmation from people with more experience.

If you want to keep you're ducklings in a natural surrounding during wintertime (cold in Ohio) I think it is not such a great idea to have newborn ducklings in autumn.

I live in southern Ohio so it is not too bad here. I plan to schedule the brood so that it works out.

But its also a meat growth issue also!

I am not worried about that. My focus is on reducing flock size and farm chores during the winter, while at the same time preserving genetic diversity.

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

Drakes tend to be slower developing. Mine typically don't stage till about 5 months.

 

[TomCahalan]

Drakes tend to be slower developing. Mine typically don't stage till about 5 months.

"Stage"? Is that a word for fighting?

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

"Stage"? Is that a word for fighting?

No it's a spell check change of sexually mature

 

[Isaac 0]

Drakes tend to be slower developing. Mine typically don't stage till about 5 months.

This has been my experience as well.

 

[NatJ]

I'm thinking of a situation where I hatch a future flock in the fall. These would be my only birds, 5 drakes and 12 ducks....So during the winter I would have a flock of young adults with a bad ratio.

With chickens, one solution is to keep them in two separate pens--males in one, females in another. (The major concern with most chicken breeds is the females getting over-mated, not the males fighting.) I do not know if it would also work with ducks.

I suppose you could keep them all in one pen at first, but have the other pens already set up--so if a problem arises, you could split out your breeding groups a bit early.

After you do it one year or two, you will know a lot more about whether it will continue to work in the future