duck breeding behavior?

[GoodEgg]

Hello all,

The ducklings (hatched around March 21) are now 3-1/2 months old.

I've been noticing the Kuro, the female (black swedish or mix of?) acting funny since I put the chicks out all day. She spent the day looking at the chicks and standing next to their pen, and started this thing where she bobs her head low, like she doesn't have a neck (it's all s-shaped) and looking cute.

(At the same time, Baka - the other female - started playing games of chasing and biting the kitten, not hard though.)

Today I couldn't really interest any of them in food when I let them out, and Kuro took them a bit away and was doing her no-neck thing, and then she laid pretty flat on the ground. One of the males walked up behind her but turned away. She seems to be inviting?

Is this how they act before they breed?

Ummmm ..... silly question but .... do I need to provide a nest box? They all 4 sleep in a converted rabbit hutch that is about 2-1/2 x 4 feet, only at night, and free range all day. Will she more likely just find a place and lay the eggs in the yard somewhere? (Yikes, if she does, I don't know how I will find them!)

I think it's too late this year to raise babies? I would have to find homes for them anyway, since I can't really handle more than 4 ducks. Everyone else wants to see them raise ducklings though.

Thanks for any info. New to ducks here! (Oh, and if it matters, the drake feathers came in a few weeks ago too.)

trish

 

[GoodEgg]

Ok, well ... I guess nobody knew the answer to the previous question, but ...

I think I figured it out.

I thought Kupo was trying to drown Kuro today, but then I think I figured it out. And I guess they did too.

It was hot today, and I had to spray down the run where the chicks are. (They surely don't like that!) The ducks were begging for some, so I sprayed them for a while, and I guess that got them excited.

I was watching the chicks, and I glanced back at the ducks, and I saw Kupo climb on Kuro's back in the water, then reach his head down and push her head under the water. It really looked like he was trying to drown her. But I guess that's ducks. I'd heard they breed in water sometimes.

She will start laying eggs now? I am still wondering if she will lay them in the coop with the other ducks in there, or if she will hide them somewhere, and how in the world I'm going to find them if she hides them, without following her around all day. I guess we'll see. With 30 chickens and ducks, I'd love to see some eggs. I'm out of fresh ones and my egg lady has gone out of town, so now would be a good time! I can't handle buying Wal-Mart eggs anymore.

trish

 

[Chickenlover88]

Sorry nobody has answered. Ducks usually do mate in the water and it does look like the males are trying to drown the female but they are always fine in the end. I used to have a blue swedish female and she would hide her nest in the run and bury the eggs with leaves and grass I wouldn't even know she had even layed eggs until I caught her sitting on a whole clutch of 12 or so. Some of the other non broody breeds such as runners and pekins just drop eggs everywhere including in their pool. Although the pekin swedish mix I had was a good mom and always buried her eggs as well. They always lay eggs very early in the morning before you even wake up. The only ducks that will use a nestbox are muscovies. Hope I helped answer some of your questions.

 

[GoodEgg]

Thanks Chickenlover!

Oh, and I understand that nobody answered. Sometimes I might not be clear, or maybe no one who read knew the answer. I understand and don't mind.

But I thank you so much for telling me all of this. That does help a lot. Wow ... laying eggs IN the water? LOL

Maybe Kuro (black swedish?) will be a broody type. All I can say is that when the chicks are out, she spends as much time as she can sitting by the fence just looking at them. She seems SO interested in them.

Then again, maybe she's not feeling motherly. Maybe she's thinking "At last, I'm not the bottom bird anymore! I can beat up ALL of these guys!" Hehe, I don't think so, but who knows?

But my other duck (buff cross?) seems almost put out by them, and by the attention they get from the other duck/drakes and me as well. She ignores them and acts irritated. She has shown no breeding behavior at all.

So I might not be able to count on eating eggs from Kuro at all, unless she lays them in the coop. If it's first thing in the morning before she gets out, she might. Maybe I will put stuff in there so she can make a nest. So far it's just mashed down grass and down feathers, but they don't seem to mind as they spend part of the day in there as well.

But if she builds a nest and hides it well somewhere in the yard, I will probably never find it. It's a big yard with a lot of obstacles. I hope the snakes or a lawnmower don't mess things up for her.

Thanks again, you really have been very helpful and answered ALL of my questions.

trish