Breeding ducks

[ceeal]

I'm fairly new to keeping ducks and have 2 pekin ducks it seems they are mating from what i can read about it, head pumping and all that. So i have a few questions.

- 1. I've read about adding oyster shell to the feed for the eggshells, when should i be doing that if i need to?

- 2. Are the females broody enough to sit on the egg and care for it or would i have to do that artificially?

- 3. Will they mate again or are they just 1 time partners?

- 4. Do i have to separate the male and female due to aggression? if that is even a thing in ducks

Thank you so much to whoever can help!

 

[nuthatched]

1. What are they eating?
2. Broodiness is up to hormones, egg laying, mating and broodiness has nothing to do with broodiness.
3. They likely mate a few times a day.
4. Depends on the ducks, usually males a very randy and need a few females.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

Are you sure you have a male and a female? Same sex couple will “practice” mate. Does one quack and one sound raspy or hoarse? Even if they seem to be mating the eggs will not necessarily be fertile. Collect your eggs and crack one open to check. When you collect them, it makes the female continue to lay. The eggs will get bigger with time. If you do have a pair, waiting until your eggs are larger and fertile will result in a better hatch.
Btw, eat those collected eggs. They taste wonderful!

 

[CoriM]

Let us know what you have - definitely a male and female? Males have a tail curl and a whispery, raspy voice and females have no tail curl and a quack. Females practice mating with each other all the time. If you have one of each you will have to keep a close eye to make sure your female is not over-mated - normally a male will need 4-5 females.

Oyster shell should be offered on the side once they start laying. Do not mix it in their food, but make sure it's always available.

Since you have pekins make sure they have proper duck food with niacin and also you might need to add brewer's or nutritional yeast as they just need a little extra for leg strength. Check their feet often, as the heavy-weight birds are prone to develop bumblefoot infections.

Enjoy, the pekins are sweet birds!

 

[ceeal]

Let us know what you have - definitely a male and female? Males have a tail curl and a whispery, raspy voice and females have no tail curl and a quack. Females practice mating with each other all the time. If you have one of each you will have to keep a close eye to make sure your female is not over-mated - normally a male will need 4-5 females.

Oyster shell should be offered on the side once they start laying. Do not mix it in their food, but make sure it's always available.

Since you have pekins make sure they have proper duck food with niacin and also you might need to add brewer's or nutritional yeast as they just need a little extra for leg strength. Check their feet often, as the heavy-weight birds are prone to develop bumblefoot infections.

Enjoy, the pekins are sweet birds!

They almost sound the same but one does have the tail curl and the other does not. I will try to get a good picture later on.

If adding yeast is there a certain ratio to food i should follow? as of now im just using purina flock raiser

Since i'm at work most of the day is there any signs i can look for to see if the female is being over mated?

 

[CoriM]

A picture would help, but you should be able to tell by the voice, quack or raspy whisper. How old are they?

@Miss Lydia can say how much nutritional/brewers yeast to sprinkle on their food.

Since they are heavy-weight birds also regularly check the bottom of their feet to make sure they don't have bumblefoot infections which will show up as a swelling and scab. They are especially prone, being heavier birds.

As for overmating, look for bare patches on the back of the head where feathers are being pulled out, and other wear and tear.

 

[Miss Lydia]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/