Drakes want to kill my duckling

[duck brain]

I have a duckling that's about two months old. I think that's she's a hen. I was thinking that hey, she should be old enough to introduce to my existing ducks, a hen and two drakes. I decided to take it slow, and had her in a wire dog kennel on the ground at night for a few days. The older ducks waddle around the yard during the day, they have the run of our four and a half acre place. So i have Pokey, the duckling, in chicken run during the day.

I've been trying to get my drakes to accept Pokey for some time now, but it seems that unless she is in my lap, or tucked under my arm all they want to do is either kill or mount her. I honestly cannot tell which. They will grab her feathers at the base of her head and not let go until i grab Pokey and kick the drake off. Sometimes they will both be doing it at the same time. My hen does not have a problem with her. Whats going on, and how should i get them to accept Pokey? She can't stay in the chicken run forever, there is no live grass on there and the chickens, who also have the run of the place, eat all the bugs.

NOTE: I know that at two months and almost completely feathered out she's not a duckling, but i call my ducks ducklings until i get one that's younger then the current "duckling". My Khaki Campbells were ducklings for six months!

 

[Amiga]

I have been watching the dynamics of a "new" group of three ducks - a drake and two ducks, as they slowly (7 months and counting) get incorporated into my flock of one buff and nine runner ducks (all girls).

Without the boring details, I will tell you that mating behavior seems to be about possession as much as jollies.

I think your two drakes may be a risk for your duckling. I think they may be competing with each other to prove who she belongs to. And that could turn deadly.

I don't dislike drakes, and at the same time I know they can hurt and kill ducks when their hormones are in charge.

What I do is keep the group of three separate at night and when I am not with them. During the day when I can be with them in the big garden - 1800 sf - things go pretty well. But there is a bit of chasing, as the runners consider the one buff "theirs" and the drake considers her "his."

There is a rule of thumb that a drake should have 3 to 6 ducks (females) to avoid mating troubles.

But that's just a generalization. Some people do well with pairs, but others find that more than one drake is a problem, no matter how many ducks they have.

Take your time and remember her life depends on you. So sit back and work on things, being without grass for a while is much better than being hurt.