Drake pulling Darlings feathers off while mating!

[daidyducks]

So this new drake we got recently, well, couple months ago has been mating with my Babygirl and I've noticed he's been pulling the feathers off the back of her neck. The skin underneath is starting to show and it's getting red. Im afraid he's being too rough with her but don't know how to separate them since they sleep in the same coop at night.

Is there anything that can soothe for now?
I was thinking warm compress but I'm not sure if that would help at all.


I have a cage thats big enough for him but its cold out and not sure if he'd be okay by himself. Usually we just place the cage outside their coop so they can come out from their enclosed house in the mornings, but having him out all night, would that be bad?

 

[Mahonri]

Yeah, I'd separate them, but I wouldn't leave him out in the cold.

Good luck.

 

[Lund Poultry]

once they are in the pen together at night they are most likely NOT breeding. They usually breed during the day. Good Luck.

 

[Sore Thumb Suburbanite]

ok, I've had the same issue, only with the drake and my runner, the back of her head and eyelids got all bloody one day and I finally had it! I separated the drake from my flock and I bandaged my runner's head. She seemed to appreciate the medical attention and warm water on her wounds-she stood still and didn't dodge me. Now she is healing nicely and its been almost a week since I separated them. I keep the drake outside of the yard during the day and he stays right next to their fence constantly, at night he sleeps in the bedding area under my raised coop alone. It doesn't get too cold here and he's doing fine, though he probably misses the action.

My experience with ducks mating at night is they do and often... My goose sounds an alarm every time the drake mounts, the goose screams the whole time until it stops. I used to keep all the ducks and my goose together at night but ever since that started the Goose and the drake sleep in the bedding under the coop at night. I woke up to her screaming the alarm 5 different times in one night!

If all Darling's feathers are missing your drake will have to grab whats left-her skin or head or back...I advise separation before you get a bloody mess.

 

[duckdad]

yep....

once there are no feathers to grab and hold thats when its time to separate them. I've seen a hen running around in a bad ratio flock that was bald on the back of her neck...it heals and its nothing unusual but preventing the skin from being broken by repeated bites is the humane thing to do. The drake will get over it...just as everything changes so do the urges of a drake, except you only have to wait a few days for a drake to change. If your hen starts a nest she'll be off limits for awhile...

Duck love is brutal...........and you thought porcupines had it bad.

 

[jdywntr]

Is it only the 2 that you have? If you have more males than females, the boys are overbreeding the girls. Consider getting more girls. Your male may be a bit too amorous for 1 girl ( if thats all you have). More girls will take the pressure off of her.

I do disagree about them only mating during the day. My Muscovy (prior to freezer camp

) would be mating with my female at all kinds of hours, during the day, at dusk, pitch black out, whenever.

 

[daidyducks]

ok, I've had the same issue, only with the drake and my runner, the back of her head and eyelids got all bloody one day and I finally had it! I separated the drake from my flock and I bandaged my runner's head. She seemed to appreciate the medical attention and warm water on her wounds-she stood still and didn't dodge me. Now she is healing nicely and its been almost a week since I separated them. I keep the drake outside of the yard during the day and he stays right next to their fence constantly, at night he sleeps in the bedding area under my raised coop alone. It doesn't get too cold here and he's doing fine, though he probably misses the action.

My experience with ducks mating at night is they do and often... My goose sounds an alarm every time the drake mounts, the goose screams the whole time until it stops. I used to keep all the ducks and my goose together at night but ever since that started the Goose and the drake sleep in the bedding under the coop at night. I woke up to her screaming the alarm 5 different times in one night!

If all Darling's feathers are missing your drake will have to grab whats left-her skin or head or back...I advise separation before you get a bloody mess.

Omg! are you serious, it can get to a "bleeding-point"?? thats awful!
I know for a fact they do mate during the night because she comes out of her coop with less feathers on her neck, every day. I have noticed that he's sort of laying off for a while since her feathers are kind of growing back but I'm not sure if he's gonna continue again or just stop.
I dont want to leave him out in the cold at night though the weathers not very nice right now since its been raining a lot..

Sometimes I cringe when I hear them mating

I feel like shes in pain! My poor Darling but I'll definitely find some way to separate them for a while.. my brother suggested knitting her a beanie! haha! (wish it was possible for her to keep it on hah

yep....

once there are no feathers to grab and hold thats when its time to separate them. I've seen a hen running around in a bad ratio flock that was bald on the back of her neck...it heals and its nothing unusual but preventing the skin from being broken by repeated bites is the humane thing to do. The drake will get over it...just as everything changes so do the urges of a drake, except you only have to wait a few days for a drake to change. If your hen starts a nest she'll be off limits for awhile...

Duck love is brutal...........and you thought porcupines had it bad.

It is brutal! Its crazy and confusing! I dont want a bloody mess Darling's gone through enough deaths I wouldnt want her to think she's hurting the same!

Is it only the 2 that you have? If you have more males than females, the boys are overbreeding the girls. Consider getting more girls. Your male may be a bit too amorous for 1 girl ( if thats all you have). More girls will take the pressure off of her.

I do disagree about them only mating during the day. My Muscovy (prior to freezer camp

) would be mating with my female at all kinds of hours, during the day, at dusk, pitch black out, whenever.

Yes, for now theyre only 2. I cant really have more right now since my DH and I are not in the best living situations atm. I do agree, shes hot stuff and my Fluffs cant resist!
good thing they dont mate like your muscovy!...............at least I dont think they do

 

[daidyducks]

Thank you amazinggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg friends!!! I love coming to you guys

 

[Pevans]

My poor female duck looks like a homeless person. She can't bathe in the water because the 2 males try and drown her. I separate the 2 males from her and let her have the water to herself whenever I can . Her neck feathers are getting pulled out so I cut a baby sock and gave her a turtle neck.we'll see if that helps. The males have already drowned another duck.can the males be fixed? She is a great egg producer would she still produce?

 

[jducour]

My poor female duck looks like a homeless person. She can't bathe in the water because the 2 males try and drown her. I separate the 2 males from her and let her have the water to herself whenever I can . Her neck feathers are getting pulled out so I cut a baby sock and gave her a turtle neck.we'll see if that helps. The males have already drowned another duck.can the males be fixed? She is a great egg producer would she still produce?

This is serious. She could be killed. Are you saying they have already killed another female duck? Getting a sock won't solve the problem - and it wouldn't stop them either. You need to get rid of one of the males, and add at least two other female ducks to your flock. Do you need male ducks? Are you trying to produce offspring? A female will be a great egg layer without any males present. She might actually produce more regularly, because she isn't constantly being bred with. If you don't want to get rid of one or both of the males - I completely understand, but you have to separate them completely from the female. If you can manage two flocks, get one more female, and have a male flock and a female flock, and never allow them to be near the other flock. If you want only one flock, you either need to get rid of one or both of the drakes, or add at least 4 female ducks to your flock. If they have already killed one female, this one doesn't stand a chance. Sorry.