duck attacking drake!

[Trimpkey]

I have placed a mallard drake in with my big golden cascade duck as she has just lost her previous mallard 'husband'. She is being very mean and getting on top of him, biting his chest and hissing every time he comes near. He is just trying to avoid her at this point. My mallard is 2 years old. His 'wife' is still in with the chickens in the coop next door. I didn't want to just throw the mallard duck and drake in with the golden cascade at once and thought I'd put the drake in first thinking he would establish dominance, so I could then put the mallard duck in. Should I just throw them all in at night and hope for the best? Should I leave the drake and golden cascade together for a few days then try to introduce the mallard duck? Should I take my golden cascade to a local farm with a pond and just keep my happy mated mallards?

 

[Miss Lydia]

If you want to make this work trying keeping them where they can see each other but no one can touch, temporary pens would work. Just tossing a new drake or duck in with an established ducks always causes trouble. Once they have lived side by side for a while try letting them all out together for some treats and see how they do. Eventually they should get along. Time and patience is the key here.

 

[Trimpkey]

Thank you. I have 5 chickens and the mallard duck and drake and they all lived happily together in the same large run for 2 years. This week the drake started attacking one of my chickens and has injured it. That is why I'm trying to move the two mallards to the coop with the single golden cascade duck who recently lost her mallard drake/mate.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I think your GC will eventually accept your Mallards it just takes time and with her losing her mate that makes it a little hard to accept any new potential mates. Even if your Mallards lived with the chickens for two years they are still new to your GC duck.

 

[Loopeend]

That's good advice what miss Lydia gives.
I hope it works out well.

Also; you can't just assume that the drake would assert dominance. They don't really do old conserviotional stereotypes like we humans did in the 50's. Sometimes it is better to let the females be befriended first when introducing a man to share. (wait..this actually still is like humans haha! I'm watching sisterwives. No sisterwives-stuff is going to happen when the females aren't liking each other )

 

[Cayuga momma]

Maybe he made an under the breath comment about her weight and she just let loose on him?

 

[Trimpkey]

Just as a follow up...all 3 ducks are happily together now. In the morning the mallard drake and his new duck were getting along fine. She had accepted him overnight. I then added the mallard duck in the run but separated them for 2 or 3 days. Then I let them all in together. The drake was happy to be with his original wife and the huge white cascade has now taken a lesser role and follows the two smaller ducks around. No meanness or pecking from anyone.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That’s great news! Always enjoy a happy ending to a wonderful friendship.