''Duck rape''

[Amykins]

It absolutely should! That drake's gonna be like a kid in a candy store, hehe!

 

[Jessica89]

Hahaha! I hope so!
Hoping poor Hattie will get a rest!
I have been letting them free roam in the garden and he doesn't seem to bother her then.
So for now, I shall be doing that until we get him some more lady friends!

 

[Amiga]

Glad you are getting the new ducks!

You can give Hattie a break right now and in the meantime by keeping the drakes away from her...

Duck social interactions are unpredictable. But if you introduce them carefully, you have a good chance of restoring peace. Well, relatively speaking, as ducks can be so active in the spring. But Hattie's health matters so much - you may need to make a few changes here and there, just keep adjusting. We have had to make adjustments here. And I want to add a few more ducks, so my plans include what to do if the ducks don't immediately cooperate.

Her health and life depend on you. That is quite an honor and a responsibility. I know you can do it. (c:

 

[Jessica89]

Thank you
I love them all to bits and would do anything to make sure they are safe and happy.
Maybe I could let the girls go for a free roam and then the drakes?
Alternating them perhaps?? Or alternating the girls ?

 

[Tevyes Dad]

At first the drakes (or even the ducks) might just attack the new ducks because they aren't part of the flock so just be ready for this possibility. You might have to set up a temporary barrier for a couple days where they can get used to each other and see each other. Plan on observing them for a while when they are first put together. If it is just chasing and pecking, it will probably run its course. If it becomes real violent though you may need a couple days for them to get to know each other and at least establish a tentative pecking order. When we added our last two to the flock the dominant drake would have killed them, no questions asked. After a week, he had calmed down enough that his attacks were not life threatening so they were together supervised. After a few more days, there were just token pecks and they were chased a lot. Now they all get along famously.

 

[duckcrazy]

I had a male and 5 females. My male was crazy about his one duck, and I had to separate them. He would actually go running up to her and jump on every chance he got. I would fight to remove him off her constantly, so she could have some peace. When spring of last year came he became ruthless with the other females. Once separated, he quacked all day, wouldn't eat, and kept flying over the fence. The girls were also miserable, as they just loved him but not his constant attentions. They would keep a vigil by the fence until he was released. I'd let him have 2 female visitors, rotating them every other day. It was a real pain and though it was a hard decision, I gave him away. The gals really missed him at first, but now they have forgotten him and just mount each other on occasion.

Keep um happy -- Keep um healthy quack quack

 

[Jessica89]

Awwww that must have been a really hard decision but the kindest one!

I think i might have to try rotating and see how that goes.

Really? Would the 'top duck' even get aggressive if the new ducks are females??

 

[Tevyes Dad]

Awwww that must have been a really hard decision but the kindest one!

I think i might have to try rotating and see how that goes.

Really? Would the 'top duck' even get aggressive if the new ducks are females??

This is a separate issue (flock vs outsiders not boys vs girls) but I have seen many posts on this forum that show introducing new birds can have a challenging period (it usually works out, you just may need to help it). I posted this story back when I introduced my last two girls to the flock. We had to initially confine them from the flock, then confine our #1 drake, then spend a lot of time supervising them when they were free to run around. Eventually our #2 drake intervened and made our job easier. The post is more centered on the #2 drake, but the story is there if you want to read it blow by blow:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/919453/tevye-a-really-awesome-duck

As I said before, they now get along famously. But at the time, it was bad enough my wife was crying for the new girls. This is in no way meant to dissuade you: getting more girls will probably help your flock in the long run and is a good idea. I just don't want this to be a surprise you are unprepared for if they aren't immediately greeted with open wings