Drake trying to breed with hens?

[Icedangel11]

A while ago I bought 6 chicks and a duckling. Now they are about 5 months old and the drakes taking an interest to the ladies.. By trying to mate with my hens. He's gentle about it, but it could still kill them.

I have female ducks in a pond a little whiles away (it's the neighbor's pond, but my ducks live there and he lets them). I put him over there and he wants nothing to do with them.

Is there ANY way I can 'reset' him and make him stay with the duck hens? Or do I have to get rid of him before he hurts something? Even if he just MATES with the hens, then returns to the chickens and stops trying to mate with them.

 

[sourland]

Since he was raised with the chickens, he is imprinted on them. He doesn't know that he is a duck - he regards them as his flock. If you pen him with ducks away from the chicken hens he may 'cure', but that is unlikely.

 

[Icedangel11]

So he's best off as a duck dinner?

I can't see anyone with ducks wanting a drake that won't breed duck hens.. And he's not tame enough to be a pet.. I feel bad now, I didn't know he'd wind up like that when I put him in with the chicks.

 

[sourland]

Well, if penned with a duck hen/hens he may pair bond/flock bond with them and decide that he really enjoys being a duck. The converse remains that he may never lose his love for chicken hens. I once had a Muscovy drake that decided he should start breeding the chickens. The only cure for him was the chopping block.