Duck Aggression and Ducklings - Lots of questions

[Captain Cluck]

I have 3 ducks on nests and they and my 2 drakes and a fourth duck who is not setting are very aggressive toward my 4 chicken raised ducklings. They chase and attack the Chucklings at every chance, tearing skin and ripping feathers. So the Chucklings run with the hens during the day and sleep in a crate with mama in the duck pen at night. Of course, the ducks are livid over this.


Armed with that information, I have these questions:

2 ducks are sharing a nest inside the duck hut, and the third has a separate nest behind the hut, do I need to separate them all from each other or let the 2 sharing stay together?

Do I need to separate the ones sharing from the one behind the hut?

Do I need to keep the drakes away from the ducklings with duck mamas?

What about the one duck that runs hot and cold about setting? (she wants a nest, but refuses to set the eggs *sigh*) Do I keep her away, or let her stay with them?

Can I leave them all together at night or do I need more pens?

Do I just play it by ear?

I was planning on taking most of the ducklings away when they hatch, let the ducks have about 2-3 each and sell the rest. Good idea? Bad idea? When should I take them? As soon as they hatch and brood them separately from the other ducks, or the day before I take them to the farm sale?

My only experience with ducklings is when I got my adult ducks at 5- 6 weeks, and the 4 my hen hatched last month, so I have not dealt with duck aggression or nesting behavior before.

Thank you for your help.


(edited for spelling)

 

[dgecko]

I would take all the ducklings away onced hatched. Unless you have your ducks in a covered pen the hawks and crows will pick one off at a time till they are all gone. My chick,ducklings ect are clamer birds if I raise them. what type of ducks do you have? I have enough ducks to start a duck farm well it seems so. I gota sell some soon or my back yard will be full of duck and geese poo

 

[Captain Cluck]

My yard is already full of duck and chicken poo, so I hear you! (small yard)

My duck pen is covered, so no worries about arial attacks by predetor birds. I want a few for the freezer and possibly a few more for eggs (people love duck eggs) but I doubt I need around 40+ ducklings. (nearest count is 4 nests, avg of 15 per nest and I know some won't hatch.)

My ducks are 2 drakes - 1 welsh harlequin, 1 pekin, and 4 ducks - 2 black& white Mag pies and 2 Black Swedish (1 is crested and can't make up her mind to set or not.)

So far, I have 4 ducklings hatched by a broody Oprington hen - 1 black Swedish colored, 1 chocolate Swedish colored, 1 black & white Magpie colored and one welsh harlequin colored. The brown Swedish is a giveaway that papa is actually grandpa. I got 5 of the 6 from the same person and she told me she was pretty sure the Harlequin was daddy to the 2 Magpies and the non-crested Swedish and possibly the Pekin (how's that for genetics?)

Going by the sounds they are making now at 4 1/2 weeks, the chocolate one is a ducklet and the rest are drakelets. Going by what I could see from vent sexing at 1 week, the Magpie is a ducklet and the others are drakelets. All I know for sure is they are messy, noisy and so cute following the hen around the yard.