Drake after my 4 week old ducklings

[Justjack5]

So I put my 4 week old female ducklings in the pen with my 2 hens and 2 drakes and immediately the 2 drakes starting to mount my ducklings. Are they too young? What should I do?

 

[DuckyDonna]

Separate them immediately! They are too young!

 

[sourland]

Separate them.

 

[DuckyDonna]

Yes I did so how long should I keep the drakes away? Can I let the adult hens be with them?

probably but I'd watch them closely because they can be mean too. The babies are really young. Start by introducing them in a look but not touch situation.

 

[Duck_life]

So I put my 4 week old female ducklings in the pen with my 2 hens and 2 drakes and immediately the 2 drakes starting to mount my ducklings. Are they too young? What should I do?

To young. Keep the drakes/hens and ducklings separated.

 

[Going Quackers]

Drakes can be very sexually aggressive. I have one Scovie x (buff orp) who if given the choice goes for my call duck females.

While i won't say i haven't successfully had drakes and ducklings together, it was done in a huge flock while free ranging. I also had a real lovely daddy call this summer he stayed with her and the kids straight through.. actually they are all still together.

However, it is a fact. Drakes can kill/injure young.end of.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That’s my biggest worry with my Runner drake he has 6 girls my youngest has 3 and my Muscovy has 4 they are all fine no one worse for wear. It defiantly depends on the drake.

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

I put one of mine in at 3months and the drake mated it to death. She was too small. I would wait till at least 4 months.

 

[Beaglegal]

It was pretty gruesome and he kept mating her dead body. I knew that could happen but thought she was big enough and he had three hens. I was wrong.

That would be very disturbing... sorry that happened.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

They aren't, but if something looks "effable" to them, they'll "eff" it, living or dead.

Like with the OP, drakes are very much "if there's grass on the field, we're ready to play." It's why you need to have maybe a 7-10 to 1 ratio of females to males. Too many males will mate/rape the females to death.

I agree about the effing. . mostly.
But the 7-10 females to male ratio?
I don't know how you decided that but not true. Depends on the drake. .and what breed you have. .
I have a Cayuga ratio of I drake for 4 ducks. They are perfectly fine.
Call ducks for example are more likely to pair up and can sometimes be kept in pairs.
Not always, again it depends on the drake.
My call duck book actually recommends not penning more than *I think 2 maybe 3*
Females with one drake because with too many ducks to mate there is the possibility of the drake prolapseing his penis trying to fertilize all of them.