Daddygirl0721
In the Brooder
- Aug 17, 2017
- 5
- 4
- 16
Hi everyone, new here, so I tried to do a search for this problem, but could only find one other that matched it exactly, and it was from 2014, so I hope it is ok to start a new thread.
I have 8 Indian runner ducks (started with 11, but life stinks sometimes...) I have only one drake, and the rest are females, so he has more than enough, that is not the issue. In fact, it became an issue before we lost 3 of our girls. For some reason, he really is mean to just one. He seems to mate any of them equally, but for some reason, he really tears into my favorite girl quite brutally. She ended up loosing a big patch of feathers on her neck and he was making her bleed every day, so I removed her and kept her away for about 3 weeks. But even though her skin healed perfectly, her feathers did not grow back. I kept another girl with her so she would not get lonely and so that he wouldn't focus only on her when she went back. I re-introduced her and her sister at the same time, and he instantly went after her and made her bleed again. I tried separating him for a couple of days and then re-introducing him to ALL the girls....same story. I tried putting gobs of ointment on her neck so he would be grossed out, but he just doesn't care.
I've tried vet tape, a baby sock and currently I put a little bonnet covered on the outside with the hard side of Velcro to deter him, but she seems so uncomfortable wearing it that I can't make her do it. Giving her away just isn't an option, does anyone have any ideas of maybe some spray or ointment or anything at all that I haven't tried? Any advice is appreciated, thank you! (Sorry it was so long)
I have 8 Indian runner ducks (started with 11, but life stinks sometimes...) I have only one drake, and the rest are females, so he has more than enough, that is not the issue. In fact, it became an issue before we lost 3 of our girls. For some reason, he really is mean to just one. He seems to mate any of them equally, but for some reason, he really tears into my favorite girl quite brutally. She ended up loosing a big patch of feathers on her neck and he was making her bleed every day, so I removed her and kept her away for about 3 weeks. But even though her skin healed perfectly, her feathers did not grow back. I kept another girl with her so she would not get lonely and so that he wouldn't focus only on her when she went back. I re-introduced her and her sister at the same time, and he instantly went after her and made her bleed again. I tried separating him for a couple of days and then re-introducing him to ALL the girls....same story. I tried putting gobs of ointment on her neck so he would be grossed out, but he just doesn't care.
I've tried vet tape, a baby sock and currently I put a little bonnet covered on the outside with the hard side of Velcro to deter him, but she seems so uncomfortable wearing it that I can't make her do it. Giving her away just isn't an option, does anyone have any ideas of maybe some spray or ointment or anything at all that I haven't tried? Any advice is appreciated, thank you! (Sorry it was so long)
Once a drake/rooster targets a hen for whatever reason it is very unlikely that they will stop. It may very well be necessary to separate them from one another.
I was afraid of that. Thanks though.
