Drake Issues

[corriemartin]

So we have two drakes and eight ducks, and up until today they were all getting along fine. The drakes both got their drake feathers a couple weeks ago, and there's been a fair amount to mild aggression and duck sex going on. But today, the dominant drake seems to have decided that the other drake doesn't belong anywhere around (and they're a really tight knit little group) and seems like he is devoting his life to chasing the other drake away. I don't think the timid drake is suffering too much, because there are plenty of bugs and plants to eat when they're outside, but I feel bad for him. And I worry about when they're inside at night. The duck house is only 8 X 8 feet or so (which is 6.4 square foot per duck). How is he going to get away from the dominant duck in that small space. Do I need to separate them? Or put some kind of baffle inside the house so that the timid drake can get out of sight of the dominant one?

 

[Weeg]

Try separating the naughty drake for a bit to bring his peg down, and give the other drake a chance to get established.

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

i agree with @Weeg

keep the less dominant one with the girls and keep the other seperate for a week and try again

 

[corriemartin]

Won't it be traumatic for the dominant drake to be all alone? Whenever one of the ducks inadvertently gets separated, she is horribly upset. I thought that being a lone duck was a terrible thing.....

(I'm also not sure where I'd put him.)

 

[Isaac 0]

Won't it be traumatic for the dominant drake to be all alone? Whenever one of the ducks inadvertently gets separated, she is horribly upset. I thought that being a lone duck was a terrible thing.....

(I'm also not sure where I'd put him.)

Yep, you're correct. Ducks are flock animals, so separating them from each other is extremely stressful to not only them, but us too, as you'll likely have to watch him pacing back and forth along the fence all-day long.

I don't know what you're options are, but If I were in your shoes, I'd either sell the dominant drake, or butcher him.

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

seperating for a few days won’t be bad for him, it’ll just make him not as dominant

 

[Isaac 0]

seperating for a few days won’t be bad for him, it’ll just make him not as dominant

Your theory makes absolutely no sense to me, would you mind explaining it further, how separating him for a few days will make him not want to attack the other drake? Most drakes have a very strong hormonal, and territorial drive. In my opinion, and experience, doing such a thing is going to do little to nothing to resolve the problem.

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

Your theory makes absolutely no sense to me, would you mind explaining it further, how separating him for a few days will make him not want to attack the other drake? Most drakes have a very strong hormonal, and territorial drive. In my opinion, and experience, doing such a thing is going to do little to nothing to resolve the problem.

the other drake will be the only boy in with the girls. so he will most likely become the most dominant. then once the seperated boy gets put back with them, he won’t attack because he’s not the dominant one. worked with my drakes atleast (and i had 4)

 

[JacinLarkwell]

That doesn't really make a lot of sense. Every drake I had when I had ducks was either dominant or submissive. Taking one away didn't make the other more dominant once the male was returned. The dynamics went eight back to how they were before

 

[Weeg]

Could you put a fence down the middle of the coop? You could then put 4 ladies on each side both with a drake? I don't know if it would work, they might panic being apart, I don't know for sure, but then the boys would be separated.