Calm a drake?

[loofa]

Well Mr. Clove has put on his nuptial feathers (so cute those tail curlicues!) and gone into full crazy randy drake mode. The problem is that even though he has 5 hens, he has a tendency to over-mate one. At the moment I have him penned, but I feel sad for him not getting to forage, and well, it makes him insane to be separated from his girls. He barely eats, he's so focused on running back and forth along the fence line and flinging himself at it in attempts to ...... break through? His stress when separated is intense.

Is there any way to calm a hormonal drake? This generally lasts through spring and summer - so that's like a good half the year and keeping him in a grassless pen does not feel like a good solution.

 

[Maddcatter]

Well Mr. Clove has put on his nuptial feathers (so cute those tail curlicues!) and gone into full crazy randy drake mode. The problem is that even though he has 5 hens, he has a tendency to over-mate one. At the moment I have him penned, but I feel sad for him not getting to forage, and well, it makes him insane to be separated from his girls. He barely eats, he's so focused on running back and forth along the fence line and flinging himself at it in attempts to ...... break through? His stress when separated is intense.

Is there any way to calm a hormonal drake? This generally lasts through spring and summer - so that's like a good half the year and keeping him in a grassless pen does not feel like a good solution.

How old is your drake?

 

[Jenbirdee]

Well Mr. Clove has put on his nuptial feathers (so cute those tail curlicues!) and gone into full crazy randy drake mode. The problem is that even though he has 5 hens, he has a tendency to over-mate one. At the moment I have him penned, but I feel sad for him not getting to forage, and well, it makes him insane to be separated from his girls. He barely eats, he's so focused on running back and forth along the fence line and flinging himself at it in attempts to ...... break through? His stress when separated is intense.

Is there any way to calm a hormonal drake? This generally lasts through spring and summer - so that's like a good half the year and keeping him in a grassless pen does not feel like a good solution.

he wont stop but since you have several more hens I would try this:
i would take the overmated hen and one other hen away from him,, let him live with the other 3hens for a while,, maybe he gets used to them,, so when they all go together again he wont overmate that one,, hopefully

 

[loofa]

he wont stop but since you have several more hens I would try this:
i would take the overmated hen and one other hen away from him,, let him live with the other 3hens for a while,, maybe he gets used to them,, so when they all go together again he wont overmate that one,, hopefully

Thank you; I have found that when I separate the hen he just focuses in on another girl. He mates them all, but there is always one being harassed way more than the others and clearly suffering for it.

 

[Jenbirdee]

Thank you; I have found that when I separate the hen he just focuses in on another girl. He mates them all, but there is always one being harassed way more than the others and clearly suffering for it.

yah its sad i know and this is why i have zero drakes although i have 12 duck hens , zero drakes.
so ok if he stays in drake jail
Give him a mirror or several mirrors in his pen /crate/coop whatever whereever you are keeping him
I found they love to look at themselves
even talk to the drake in the mirror
safety glass kind
try giving him a stuffed toy duck too

 

[Maddcatter]

Thank you; I have found that when I separate the hen he just focuses in on another girl. He mates them all, but there is always one being harassed way more than the others and clearly suffering for it.

Yeah, that is typical for my younger drakes too. They tend to grow out of it. If your hens are suffering, rotate them every week or so until the hormones of your drake calm down. I'd guess it'll take a month or 2.

If you put 2 hens in the "out" pen at a time, they'll be a lot calmer. Ducks don't deal well on their oneies.

 

[loofa]

yah its sad i know and this is why i have zero drakes although i have 12 duck hens , zero drakes.
so ok if he stays in drake jail
Give him a mirror or several mirrors in his pen /crate/coop whatever whereever you are keeping him
I found they love to look at themselves
even talk to the drake in the mirror
safety glass kind
try giving him a stuffed toy duck too

The idea of him enjoying looking at himself is hilarious - he's so fancy looking right now! I'm surprised they don't attack the drake in the mirror though.
I would have zero drakes as well if I could, but he is here and I'm fond of him despite what a hassle he is and wouldn't want him to end up somewhere where he is not cared about.

 

[Jenbirdee]

i would also try some herbs if you have lavender toss that around it maybe help him chill a little ?

 

[Miss Lydia]

You can buy hemp /calming chews for dogs I wonder if something like that would help calm a drake who is hormonal.

 

[Yardmom]

I take a different approach to duck hens and drakes than most on BYC. Ducks have a tendency to form bonds with other ducks. If there are not injuries (I have never had a duck hen injured by a drake) I let them work it out. Once the bonds are formed the dominating and excessive mating stop. Removing birds interrupts the natural bonding and flock order. My flock is free range during the day and in a very large fenced area at night. I keep almost as many drakes as duck hens.