Duck trying to mate with chickens...help

[Ste]

My hubby bought one lone duckling when we got our chicks. The chicks all turned out to be hens but my sneaking suspicion is that the duck is a male. A large white peking beauty who keeps trying to mate with my girls. He grabs the back of their neck and tries to step on them. I don't know what to do with him. Help

 

[MissPrissy]

This is why I do not advocate mxing fowl.

The drake (male duck) needs a female to mate with. He will continue to do this to your hens, even mounting and mating them - the eggs will not be fertile. I would separate him out into his own pen and start looking for him a female partner.

 

[Ste]

So anyone in San Diego want a duck? My hubby is gone for 7 months and I don't have the ability to build another pen by myself for him. He is a beautiful bird

 

[Frosty]

What does your ducks quack sound like? If it's a distinct loud quack, you have a female. If it's a quieter hoarse quack (like it has a sore throat), it's a drake. Most ducks (with the exception of some like muscovies, calls, mandarins) can be voice sexed. You can also look for the curl in the tail feathers. some females will actually mount another bird.

 

[Ste]

This duck has a curl in the tail feathers. I'll have to pay more attention to its quack. I'm thinking it has a hoarse quack though. I'm getting ready to go feed them so I'll listen for sure

 

[greyfields]

I wouldn't worry about it. The duck bills are rounded and not as sharp as a chicken. Unless you see an injury, just find it amusing not worrying.

I agree that having a lone duck is a bad idea. Animals need to be in pairs minimum. Trios are better for ducks and geese.

 

[maus]

I have a drake that was doing the same thing to one of my hens. I finally got him a female, and he is better, but will still assault my poor hen if I let them out together. So, no ducks and chickens in the same pen anymore for me.

 

[Slike]

I used to have a muscovy I rescued a couple years back. When I first got him, I had nowhere else to keep him but with my turkeys. At first, he would try to mate with the girls too, but after the tom showed him who's who he knocked it off and just waddled around like on of the flock, everywhere they'd go. In that case it wasn't a problem but with chickens, since they are much smaller, I'd suggest putting up maybe a temporary fence to separate them? Doesn't have to be anything fancy, a tarp tied to the fence with a few strategically placed rocks to keep the bottom down could do it until you find what to do with him.

 

[rufus]

Eat him.

Rufus