Duck social dynamics -need advice...again

[mkeilman]

Long duck story...cut short as best i can muster....we have four ducks. Our only adult drake( and only pekin) is not cohabiting yet with our 2 ducklings.( 2 month old khaki cambells). We are keeping him separated from both mommy (khaki cambell also) and the 2 ducklings. (she hatched and raised on her own). We have allowed periodic supervised visitations of which he immediately will chase the babes and try to mate. He cannot change. We know that. The rest of my family, wants him gone . Background...momma duck is torn between time with her babies and time with her pekin boyfriend..( they were both raised together from ducklings). He is very loving with her. My thought is we should rehome the ducklings( better chance at finding them a home than an old pekin drake). ...Or should we stick it out, we've made it two months, ive read at four months they may be old enough to mate? ...although, caveat, I'm pretty sure we have one girl and one boy duckling( based their quacks)alas...enter a whole new scenario. Any wisdom from seasoned duck owners will be appreciated. Btw, we don't have much room for more than 5/6 ducks. Keeping them separated is bearable temperararly but long term we want/need them all together, and the boy is currently all by himself most of the time.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Aw, he is likely lonely. You can keep the duck, but I would not keep the drake let. Sometimes it can work but I think the chances would better in a much larger flock. By. 2 mos my opinion is that the babies should be ok without mom all the time. Meaning, you can allow her to go be with her buddy.

 

[gander007]

I do agree two months it is time to let the little ducklings go .....

 

[mkeilman]

I know, I do feel so bad for him. The story is longer and more complicated than I could write about. I try and make time for them to be together. She's def the head alpha and always has been. even though his hormones are raging, he won't touch her unless she lets him. Her true "mate" ( the father of the ducklings) died suddenly on Easter. She's been lost a bit since then. Not sure of who to devote her priorities to. Our pekin was suddenly put into a position of alpha male, and not sure how to handle it. At least that is how I have observed it.

 

[mkeilman]

Also she won't travel very far from her ducklings when I leave her with him.

 

[subhanalah]

Keep them in pairs until you can find a better home for the drakelet or you could always just eat him. Or feed him to your dogs. Or you could do that with the Pekin.
The drakelet could mate his mother and produce viable offspring, but you wouldn't want to do that many more times than that without bringing in new blood. With the pekin male, you have varying lineages, so a broader and more healthy gene pool within your flock.

Either way, I don't understand why you don't just keep them in segregated pairs? Why does everyone want the pekin male gone? What's going on?

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

I don't want the Pekin gone. I agree with keeping him for overall future flock health.

 

[mkeilman]

Hi Thanks! Our pekin has been a real bully since day one. I guess we're all too involved with their social life. I had been trying to get a few more females for a while to satiate his appetite, and take some pressure off momma. so when babies cme along I kept two hoping(tried vent sexing) they were both girls.... I now know they will never be a good group, somebody(or bodies) will have to go. The two babies are close so I would like to keep them together(even though they are tech brother and sister). I also lost a lot of respect( maybe notbthe right word) for the pekin after i found him easter morning aggressivly trying to mate with his dead friend(the father of the babies). freaked me out.

 

[subhanalah]

It was just him assuming the alpha role. I think once you have more females and this breeding season is over, things will calm down a LOT. We have to realize this flock has been through a pretty traumatic experience losing their top drake, right? Ducks also hate change. It takes time to create a steady routine.

 

[mkeilman]

That's what I've been hoping in the back of my mind regarding the mating season. Also in couple more months the babies should be old enough...so they can stand up for themselves, right? Or maybe draklet should go? I don't know, but thanks for your insight! I think and research and work at it, but theres always a caveat to my plans when it comes to our ducks. In the meantime, we decided and relocated the coop(s) and reconfigured a new duck yard. Makes it easier for separation and managing the group dynamics, I think. I've also been letting our pekin stay with momma almost all time now. Everyone is happy for the moment...