Ducks ducks everywhere

[Tnballgirl]

I can certainly hear more than one little girl bossing around the flock.

I *think* there are 2. Mom and one other. and that would mean 9 males.....
Is that going to pose a problem?

 

[BelovedBirds]

I *think* there are 2. Mom and one other. and that would mean 9 males.....
Is that going to pose a problem?

Im seeing majority of girls in the first photos, 2 and 9 definitely look like drakes, 1 and 3 possibly could be drakes, do you have a better photo of those two? The rest look like girls to me. If in doubt, catch the bird and separate from the flock, you should get a quack if female and rasp if male.
Your ratio should be 1 drake to every 3-6 hens depending on the drake's temperament. You may just have to get a few more hens, or rehome a couple drakes, but I dont think you have 9 boys based on those photos. Drakes should get curly feathers on the tail at around 10-15 weeks which will make it easier to tell.
Are these khakis or rouens?

 

[Tnballgirl]

They are mallards. I originally bought a male and female a year and a half ago as ducklings. Then, at some point another male mallard flew in, stayed a while and both flew off. Left momma with 16 eggs....(after she had about 8 stolen by a predator, and I incubated and hatched 8 that she left on the nest when we tried to move her to a safe location inside a fence) All 8 that I hatched were killed by 2 sharpeis that came from a neighborhood over and got in my garage.

So momma hatched 12 of the 16 and left 4. I found 3 of the 4 pipped and alive and 7 hours later, I retrieved them and hatched them myself. 2 lived. 3 of mommas ducks went missing and at 5 weeks, I added my 2 to the bunch. They FINALLY accepted them.

Anyway, I can definitely hear 2 females, but other than that....Im at a loss. I would be happy to find out that there were a majority of females.

I just wonder, do these type of home raised mallards just up and fly away. I have thought that the ony reason "my" male took off is because the other one showed up and talked him into it..so to speak. Is it likely or expected that these hatched on the pond will up and fly off on their own?

 

[Tnballgirl]

Im seeing majority of girls in the first photos, 2 and 9 definitely look like drakes, 1 and 3 possibly could be drakes, do you have a better photo of those two? The rest look like girls to me. If in doubt, catch the bird and separate from the flock, you should get a quack if female and rasp if male.
Your ratio should be 1 drake to every 3-6 hens depending on the drake's temperament. You may just have to get a few more hens, or rehome a couple drakes, but I dont think you have 9 boys based on those photos. Drakes should get curly feathers on the tail at around 10-15 weeks which will make it easier to tell.
Are these khakis or rouens?

Oh, and I dont know about catching them. They will come up pretty close for food, but they arent "tame". I can see it now.......LOL

 

[Painted Calls]

I *think* there are 2. Mom and one other. and that would mean 9 males.....
Is that going to pose a problem?

Absolutely. All those drakes will likely over breed the two females to the point of drowning. Best to get rid if all but one drake.

Mallards can fly, yes. Domesticated ducks should be kept as Domesticated. Protected from predators and confined at night. As long as they know where home is and where they eat, they should stick close.