Bully runners

[duck n cover]

Hello duck lovers,
Have a question for you. My female runner laid and hatched eggs a while back. At first I kept the mom and baby's separated from the ducky-daddy. Now that the "babies" are almost as big as the mom I thought it would be safe for them to be reunited as a family. Wrong! The dad and his creepy male friend the Mallard are harassing the babies. I came home one day and found the backs of the babies bloody from the male ducks pulling their feathers out! They seem to be OK now (other than being a few feathers short) but what's up with that? I'm afraid to let them be in the same pen or out roaming the property together. I'm ready to ship the males to Timbucktoo! Suggestions?
duck n cover (aka Julie)

 

[sourland]

The drakes are still in breeding mode and the testosterone levels are high. They should settle down in the next couple of months. Over sexed drakes can be an absolute aggravation!