Drake Has a Favorite (poor girl)

[MrsDuck]

Mr. Duck has always had one hen. Now the lucky devil has three. But he is harassing just one of them, and the poor girl is starting to look like she needs a break. (The feathers on the back of her neck are starting to thin out.) This was never a problem when the ratio was 1:1 - why is it now that it's 1:3?? My theory is that he's going through a mid life crisis. Someone should tell him that she's his daughter. Anyway...

I'm guessing I need to separate them somehow. Is it a temporary separation or a permanent one? Will a few hours a day help, or does it need to be 24/7? For how long?

On a similar note, he will not mate the 'scovy. She begs for it, but he just chases her away. (He is a Rouen.) We were hoping to have her hatch out the Rouen eggs later this spring... Will the lack of mating prevent her from going broody?

Thanks!

 

[Duck Mad]

sometimes mixing n matching takes a while to get right.. maybe just leave him with Muscovy to break the constant breeding.. to take her away then put her back, he most likely get all over excited again.. could you section off their home etc so he can see her all the time, but then he gets used of seeing her without being able to mate. give it a few weeks or so to see if things calm down ...
I'm probably a bad duck mummy lol ... but if i see my males using contant trying to breed behaviour, then they get put in a small run, left for an hour or so, then let them back out... if he goes back to being constant behaviour he goes back in the pen again lol... so if he is doing naughty behaviour (he stops if he sees me walking towards him) and he pretends to being doing nothing wrong! lol