Can papa duck stay with ducklings?

[mjentley]

Good evening, friends! I need y’all’s insight. My female runner (my granddaughter named her Duck Prescott before we knew she is a female) has laid 12 eggs and has been sitting on the nest, only leaves to swim around in pond for about 30 minutes a couple of times a day. We lock up the male (other granddaughter named him Ronald Reagan, or RonRay for short) with her at night. She has stopped laying eggs, is that normal? If the ducklings hatch it will be in a week or so. We live in Texas so I feel they’ll be warm enough. Can I still lock papa up with the ducklings at night? Or will he kill them? We only have the two Runner.

 

[SilverBirds]

I wouldn't let the drake stay with the ducklings. My drake new that both of my ducklings were males before I did. He had full intentions of causing them serious harm and would pace in front of their hutch trying to find a way in.

And what do you mean she has stopped laying eggs? Another duck or the broody one?

 

[mjentley]

The broody duck stopped laying after she laid the twelfth egg which was three weeks (or so) ago.
Thank you so much for your reply. I may just leave him on the pond all night.

 

[ruthhope]

The broody duck stopped laying after she laid the twelfth egg which was three weeks (or so) ago.
Thank you so much for your reply. I may just leave him on the pond all night.

It would be better to have the drake in a separate locked up coop. He will be at risk from predators left out on the pond.

 

[SilverBirds]

The broody duck stopped laying after she laid the twelfth egg which was three weeks (or so) ago

This is normal. She will stop laying eggs when brooding and when raising the ducklings.

I may just leave him on the pond all night

I did not realize that she was in the same space as your male. I would not leave him out at night. A number of praetors such as owls, foxes, hawks, and coyotes could easily swoop him up. He would be a literal sitting duck.

 

[mjentley]

The problem is he will only go in if she takes him in. When I try to get him to come in off the pond he just sits in the middle! Such a guy!

 

[SilverBirds]

You can try to see how your drake reacts to the ducklings. If it ends poorly, you can either house your drake in a separate enclosure, house the duck and her ducklings in a separate space, or take the ducklings away once they hatch and raise them in a brooder indoors.

 

[mjentley]

Anybody have any ideas of how to get him. To go in a coop alone, without her?

 

[SilverBirds]

I'm not sure what your set up looks like. Does he have enough space to live without letting him out onto the pond everyday?