Ducketts
Chirping
- Oct 4, 2023
- 41
- 32
- 64
I was wondering if anyone had some insight on the mating habits of drakes or lack there of. I have a small flock of 8 fluffy ones 2 are drakes(Pie-pekin, Potato-khaki 10mo) and 6 are ducks(Quackster and Socks-pekin 1y4mo, Cinnamon-Rouen 10mo, Millebee-buff-13w, Maggie-magpie 13w and Hazel-silver appleyard 13w)
Now back in December/January the boys started to take a fancy for the 2 Pekins which lead to them being over mated and looking pretty bald and one was real scraggly. They didn't really bother with mounting the Rouen until I specifically housed her with the boys because she was eating eggs, and even then it wasn't nearly as frequent as they would go for the Pekins. Since my ratio was pretty bad at 1.5 to 1 I got 3 more girls in April once the weather got a little more stable so it would eventually balance out to a 3 to 1 ratio and take some stress off the Pekins (especially Socks). Now I am happy that they aren't trying to mount the 13 week old girls for their health, but they still rarely go for the Rouen and mostly go for the 2 Pekins. Does it make any sense on why the males go for the 2 largest ducks, rarely mount the one that was raised with them since brooder and ignore except to establish and maintain pecking order with the youngest? Are they somehow aware that the young ducks aren't breeding age and that's why they ignore them?
On a side note it is pretty funny to see my Khaki Campbell getting a piggyback ride by my one Pekin when she isn't having any of his antics though lol
I keep them separated most of the day for the health of the ladies, but I would like to let them all out to free range more together instead of doing split times for each gender.
Now back in December/January the boys started to take a fancy for the 2 Pekins which lead to them being over mated and looking pretty bald and one was real scraggly. They didn't really bother with mounting the Rouen until I specifically housed her with the boys because she was eating eggs, and even then it wasn't nearly as frequent as they would go for the Pekins. Since my ratio was pretty bad at 1.5 to 1 I got 3 more girls in April once the weather got a little more stable so it would eventually balance out to a 3 to 1 ratio and take some stress off the Pekins (especially Socks). Now I am happy that they aren't trying to mount the 13 week old girls for their health, but they still rarely go for the Rouen and mostly go for the 2 Pekins. Does it make any sense on why the males go for the 2 largest ducks, rarely mount the one that was raised with them since brooder and ignore except to establish and maintain pecking order with the youngest? Are they somehow aware that the young ducks aren't breeding age and that's why they ignore them?
On a side note it is pretty funny to see my Khaki Campbell getting a piggyback ride by my one Pekin when she isn't having any of his antics though lol
I keep them separated most of the day for the health of the ladies, but I would like to let them all out to free range more together instead of doing split times for each gender.
