Couple questions about owning a male and a female

[Drfish]

So we are somewhat new owners and are getting the hang of things pretty nicely. Have one rouen drake and a female crested that we are unsure of exactly the breed.

So they are both about 12-15 weeks and have begun showing signs of breeding behavior. This isn't a huge deal but again just a few questions

Are the females eggs still going to be edible with the male around? Meaning if he gets a chance to fertilize the egg is that egg immediately done for or is it just not usable after our female has brooded for a while?

Also if he starts getting too aggressive with the breeding are we going to have to keep them permanently separated? They are pretty inseparable so hopefully not.

Also any other tips for just owning one female and one drake are greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Miss Lydia]

For one thing you need more females with your only female being crested[how large of a crest] she is going to really pay with breeding since they hold onto head feathers when the drake is on her back and only thing under that fluff of feathers is fatty tissue no skull. So please make a priority getting at least 2 more females doesn't matter the breed as long as they aren't smaller breeds like Calls. Can you post a pic of your female we maybe able to tell you her breed.

As for eggs they are fine if fertile they don't start to develop until the females
becomes broody and begins to sit on them 24/7 and it still takes a few days after that.

 

[PirateGirl]

Good news! If you want to eat your duck eggs, you won't be able to tell the difference in taste between fertilized eggs or not. Here is a picture to help you. As you can see, the difference is really only of a few cells, they cook up just the same.

Good practice with your eggs (fertile or not) is to collect them daily. This way you have a better chance of avoiding bad eggs. You don't really want to be eating an egg that's been sitting in the hot sun for a week or frozen solid in the snow. If an egg has a hairline crack in it, there is potential for bacteria to get in. If it then sits in the heat you have potential (over time) for a rotten exploded stinky mess. This of course is worst case scenario, but easily avoided by collecting eggs regularly. A duckling won't begin to develop inside unless the egg is kept at the perfect temperature or humidity and temperature, which needs either an incubator or the duck hen sitting faithfully day and night (which she will only even attempt certain times of the year when her hormones are just right).

As long as they are playing nice and the best of friends you can keep the two of them together. You will know if the breeding gets to be too much for your female and they need to be separated. Even if this happens, the separation may only need to be temporary for part of the year in the height of breeding season, or for part of the day each day so she has a break from him. Every drake is different in how aggressive/amorous he may be and every hen is different in how tolerant she may be. You just kinda have to watch and judge.

 

[Miss Lydia]

The main concern is the female being crested that puts her at risk for injury.

 

[Drfish]

For one thing you need more females with your only female being crested[how large of a crest] she is going to really pay with breeding since they hold onto head feathers when the drake is on her back and only thing under that fluff of feathers is fatty tissue no skull. So please make a priority getting at least 2 more females doesn't matter the breed as long as they aren't smaller breeds like Calls. Can you post a pic of your female we maybe able to tell you her breed.

As for eggs they are fine if fertile they don't start to develop until the females
becomes broody and begins to sit on them 24/7 and it still takes a few days after that.

Thank you so much for that info! I'm posting a couple photos below of both of them. Our drake is crested as well. I'm hoping we didn't get ahead of ourselves on this one and also hope there is a breeder still selling ducks this season. We definitely don't have a problem getting another female if that will help "lessen the load" if you will.

 

[PirateGirl]

Awe, she looks to be a buff orpington and she is beautiful!

 

[Jpat]

Hahaha they look hilarious i love them!

 

[TSOWOATNKC]

Yep, definitely Buff. I have 3 female buffs. They were my mystery ducks from the farm supply store. Started out with what I thought was 4 Pekin, ended up with 3 Buff, and 1 Fawn and White Runner.

 

[Miss Lydia]

They are gorgeous, I have 2 buffs and they are really cool ducks I don't have any crested.

I hope you can find a few more females also it will surely help lesson the load. Keep us updated and let us know how it all goes

 

[Drfish]

Thanks so much everyone for the warm responses! My wife and I love them dearly. And similarly we got them from a feed store not knowing the sex or the breeds. I will definite come back and keep everyone updated on how things go with them. In the mean time, here's a few more photos