Drakes and behavior, tell me what you know....

[headred]

There is a great thread going here on female behavior which makes me think of questions I have about drakes.

1. Is there ever a time that a drake is not "after" a female to mate her?

2. Has anyone ever had a drake that has hurt a hen?

3. I have 5 hens and I think my drake mostly likes 1 hen. Anyone have a drake that is monogomous?

 

[duckboatprincess]

I can't answer all your questions but I can answer #2. I had a post about a week past about my drake. He ripped all the feathers off of my hen's back and tore a hole in her back with a couple gashes. He has since been rehomed. He ended up being a very aggressive bird. He wasn't when I first got him, but after my other drake got eaten by a fox, he became really nasty. He was charging me and the DF. I won't put up with that type of behavior. It'd be one thing to charge the dogs or something, but I don't want a duck who is doing that to people. I was afraid he'd end up charging kids or something and hurting them. So to answer your question, I have had a drake hurt one of my hens.

 

[Willowbrook]

1. Is there ever a time that a drake is not "after" a female to mate her?
In my case, definitely. I have a Runner and Silky drake and they are definitely not constantly chasing the ducks. They interact with them without wanting to breed them.

2. Has anyone ever had a drake that has hurt a hen?
I've never had a drake hurt a duck, but I have had a rooster dislocate the wing of a duck trying to mount her.

3. I have 5 hens and I think my drake mostly likes 1 hen. Anyone have a drake that is monogamous?
Can't say that I do. Both of my drakes seem to go with the adage of "if you can't love the one you love, love the one your with."​

 

[froggie71]

Quote:
No. Our 1 drake had 8 girls to be with. We took 2 days worth of eggs to throw in the bator and out of 16 eggs, all 16 were fertile and hatched! He is a busy boy!

 

[Goat_Walker]

1) When I had 3 drakes to my four hens they were ok when they were out foraging for a little while, or after I locked them up for the night. ( Eta: Eventually had to get rid of 2 drakes - explained in 2 )


2) I have had drakes grab on to the tip of the wings of my hens and just yank and chase until I thought they were goining to pull the shoulder out of socket. Ive had drakes rip all the feathers out of the backs and necks of my girls. Ive also had drakes fight with eachother, pulling all the chest feathers out.

3) My 10 y/o Is HOOKED on my magpie. He wont breed with anyone but her. He is one of my rescues and it irks me a little. When she went broody and he couldnt be with her he went and was fused at the hip with my cayuga. And before that, when I first got him and it was 3 drakes to one duck he would protect my buff from the other drakes and even sit at the opening of her kennel when she went broody so the other drakes coulnt tear her off the nest.

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
No but most have favorites.

 

[Wifezilla]

1. Is there ever a time that a drake is not "after" a female to mate her?

Like gd said, not when they are sleeping

Otherwise.....pretty much

2. Has anyone ever had a drake that has hurt a hen?

I lost a khaki hen. May have been aggressive mating that caused her initial injury, but I think it was the other females seeing her vulnerable and jumping on her that eventually did her in.

3. I have 5 hens and I think my drake mostly likes 1 hen. Anyone have a drake that is monogomous?

Like others have said, they do tend to pick favorites. Both of the drakes I previously had had their top pick and a standby. Lower status females they would actually chase away.​

 

[FenDruadin]

1. Yes--when they are after the (male) geese to mate with them.

2. Yes--when he grew up, my current drake (who will probably be replaced when I get my shipment from Holderread's next summer and they are old enough to sex) drove off my favorite hen from a previous brood. But only after he had torn out all the feathers on the back of her neck and bunches on her wings. I wish I had realized what was happening before it got that bad, and I would have gotten ridden of him right then.

3. Not mine. But I do know it happens.