Ducks fighting

[Miss Cheep]

Do you feed him? If you do try giving him more protein packed foods

Yes, he eats what all the other ducks eat.

 

[Emelyn]

Yes, he eats what all the other ducks eat.

Try giving him some extra protein such as eggshells it should help him finish the molt faster.

 

[Yardmom]

Were the 2 ducklings hatched by your other ducks, or did they come with the adult mallard?

 

[Miss Cheep]

Were the 2 ducklings hatched by your other ducks, or did they come with the adult mallard?

They were hatched by one of our girl ducks along with 4 other ducklings that weren't mallards.

 

[CaliFarmsAR]

I would separate the son and let the dad be with the flock. In a month or so you can let the son out and the dad would have been dominant drake so hopefully the son won’t challenge him when you let the son back out with the flock. That’s what I’ve had to do... it works pretty well for me.

 

[Miss Cheep]

I would separate the son and let the dad be with the flock. In a month or so you can let the son out and the dad would have been dominant drake so hopefully the son won’t challenge him when you let the son back out with the flock. That’s what I’ve had to do... it works pretty well for me.

Yes, that would work, except he can fly, and I don't want to clip his wings.

 

[CaliFarmsAR]

Yes, that would work, except he can fly, and I don't want to clip his wings.

Ohhh ok. Do you have a small covered pen or something?

 

[raingarden]

Dad can probably take care of himself unless he really old and feeble. If not, then it is time for the son to take over.

 

[Miss Cheep]

So here is how old the father is; when we first moved to our house 6 years ago our neighbors had a pond with two pairs of mallards in it. One of the pairs disappeared, and there was only one left. Last year the female disappeared from the last pair and the male flew over and started living here. He has to be at least 2, or older. I just remembered this now. He could be like 8!

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Hmm...but what takes a drake so long to molt? That's what's getting me confused. Most likely then it's the drake trying to show the dad he's more powerful than the dad. Otherwise @Miss Lydia will hopefully know

The coloring confusion is because he's going through his eclipse or nuptial molt. He loses his fancy coloring during one and the other he gains it back.
There are different molts throughout the year and it can seem like they molt forever. Duck molting is different than chicken molting.